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

The Christian Ministry: Part I, chapter III
Charles Bridges (1794-1869)
“If the Church of God be a city, he [the pastor] is the watchman to wake and warn slumberers of their peril. If it be a husbandry, he is the ‘labourer,’ to plant and water the soil – to cleanse the earth – to watch the growth of the plan – and instrumentally to bring forward the harvest.”

Jesus said the Good Shepherd defends the sheep and also leads them out to where they can feed and grow strong. What do the people of God need to be defended against in our day? False teaching? Temptation? The trials and tribulations that assail us in a world blighted with sin? Are we making sure that all the people are being fed, and producing fruit in their lives? Is our ministry following a plan that puts our church on a course for becoming “a praise” in our own communities? Or are we merely perpetuating the status quo indefinitely into the future? We must be prepared to give an accounting for our stewardship. Let us look to our Good Shepherd and His example in all things.

Isaiah’s watchmen prayed continuously for the city, so that it would become a praise in the earth. How would you describe your prayers for the people in your care?

Give Him no rest?
I wonder if we would describe our prayer lives in this way – so earnest, diligent, and continuous that we pray without ceasing on behalf of the flock of God? And if we can, are we leading our church to be such a praying people? A good place to begin would be to enlist the men of your church in more consistent prayer. Watch the brief video, If Men Will Pray, and learn how you can lead the men of your church into more consistent watching on the wall in prayer (click here).

How’s your prayer life?
George Herbert’s poem, “Prayer (1)”, is chock-full of images that can stretch our understanding of prayer and help us to improve it in many ways. Our book, The Poetry of Prayer, unpacks Herbert’s poem and includes a wide range of exercises to help you grow as a watcher on the walls of your church. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.