No Rest


"O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord. Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth." Isaiah 62:6-7

Whenever our family goes on vacation, I look forward to what I call the "sweet middle." At the beginning of the week, my emotional, mental, physical RPMs are still pretty high. They begin to dial down in the change of scenery and schedule. Eventually, I enter this moment where unconsciously the switch is actually turned off - the sweet middle. Rest. This moment lasts a few days until I think of our return and what's waiting for me when we do. 

God is a huge fan of rest. It actually made his Top 10, "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." No work. No planning. Just rest. It's fascinating to consider Isaiah's call to "take no rest". He then put an exclamation point on it, "Give the Lord no rest." Wow! Jesus echoed this same sentiment. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. The throne room of heaven is to continually be filled with the prayers of God's people.  

God calls for us to rest. Of that, there is no doubt. He also calls for us to remain in continuous fellowship with him through prayer. "Pray without ceasing," Paul would say. Continuous prayer reminds us who we are and why we're here. Continuous prayer prepares us for kingdom encounters and spiritual battle. Continuous prayer knits our hearts together with Jesus' heart "so that the world will believe you (the Father) sent me (Jesus)."

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