“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem. They shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6–7, NKJV)

Who can overestimate the value of persistent prayer? We do not know what all has been accomplished because people laid hold of God and His promises in prayer and refused to let go. Likewise, we do not know what miraculous feats have not been done because of the lack of serious and persistent prayer.

When it comes to bringing peace to Jerusalem, God never rests. He sets watchmen on the walls. He orders them to never hold their peace day or night. He wants them to plead and give Him no rest until He establishes Jerusalem as the object of praise throughout the earth. Obviously, that is not what we see today, as so many people call for Israel’s destruction. This only shows us that our labor in prayer is far from over.

Last night we attended the first session of a pastors conference in Washington. The speaker said that unless there is a culturally transformative revival, the church in America will go through a time of persecution. I believe it. For quite some time I have felt compelled that we need to pray for revival, and we must ask God to show us what is preventing it from coming. Just as God wanted continual prayer until Jerusalem was established, I believe He wants continual prayer until Christ is established as Lord in the hearts of people.

How can we be watchmen on the walls? How can we make a difference? Jesus told His disciples:

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41, NKJV)

Peter wrote to people who were suffering persecution:

“But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.” (1 Peter 4:7, NKJV)

And yet prayer meetings are the least attended services in the church. Do we not believe in the power of concerted, persistent prayer? Can we not watch with our Lord for one hour? Salvation is indeed coming, but God wills that we labor in prayer until it arrives.