Watch and Pray

During Jesus’ last days on earth, something worthy of attention happened when Jesus went with His disciples to pray (Matthew 26: 36-46). Jesus selected three of His disciples to go with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Interestingly, the three He carefully chose to be with Him at His most trying time to watch and pray with Him, failed to do this. Hence in Matthew 26:40 He chided them for not being able to keep watch for one hour.

To be watchful means to be alert (1 Thessalonians 5: 5-6), observant (Proverbs 22:3), vigilant (1 Peter 5:8), attentive (Isaiah 42:19-20), aware (Matthew 24:50), awake (Ephesians 5:14, Romans 13:11), eagle-eyed (Job 39:27-29), sharp-eyed (Job 28:7-11).

God has called us to serve as watchmen for Him (Isaiah 62:6-7). It is good to have security guards guarding and watching over your house and property, but you can’t leave your destiny and the destiny of your children and family in their hands. You have to stand as a watchman for your life, family, church and nation. Just as a security guard is the first person people see when they come to a house or office and determines who is allowed into the premises, God has positioned us to be watchmen who keep an eye on who and what comes into our lives, family, church and nation. We are not like ordinary security guards who go around with guns to protect the people and places they have been assigned to watch over. We don’t use carnal weapons in this assignment (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Rather, in the place of prayer we use the blood of Jesus and fire of the Holy Spirit to shield and secure the people and places we watch over (Exodus 12:12-13, Zechariah 2:5). As God’s watchmen, we have the power and authority to say NO, immorality won’t come in here, violence will not thrive here. This can only be done when we are spiritually alert and observant to notice that something not of God is gaining access into our lives, family, church and nation. Before it finds an avenue to come in, take root and cause havoc, we are aware of this and use prayer to uproot it or hinder it from sprouting up.

When we are not watchful, when we are not standing as watchmen for God, we could wake up one day only to discover that our lives, families and church have been bombarded and infiltrated with all kinds of ungodly habits and doctrines. Matthew 13:25 tells us that it was while men slept that the enemy came and sowed weeds. When watchmen for God are asleep, are not watching, are not praying, it is easy for the enemy to gain access and plant ungodly ideas, unhealthy relationships, strange diseases and afflictions. Watching helps us to be aware of the ongoing tricks, tactics and schemes of the devil (2 Corinthians 2:11).

In Isaiah 56:10, God rebuked His watchmen for lazing around and sleeping. Watchmen for God are to give Him no rest until we become the praise of the earth (Isaiah 62:6-7). We can’t afford to be sleeping. We can’t afford not to be watching, not to be at our prayer and intercessory duty post when our church, family and nation is yet to be the praise of the earth. Until personal and corporate promises and prophecies from God are fulfilled, we are to give God no rest. We are not to relent in prayer until we see their manifestation. Watchmen understand that until we all win, until we all succeed, conquer and make it, we can’t really say that we are victorious (Deuteronomy 3:20). Watchmen want to see their fellow believers become the praise of the earth, they want to see their brethren also at the top, they want to see them become who God has destined them to be; they want them to be the praise of the earth. With this critical assignment, they stay awake, they stay alert, they watch and pray.

If you are not alert you won’t understand the times. You won’t know the particular season we are in or the season God has brought you into. When you are not alert to discern and understand the times and seasons, you could miss your own time of visitation. Divine opportunities pass us by when we are not watchful, when we are not alert. Wrong decisions are taken when we are not watchful, when we are not discerning. The church and believers stray from their God ordained purpose when we are not watchful.

Yes, God is watching over us to keep harm and danger away from us, but this is not a license for us to go to sleep and leave everything in God’s hands. God needs us to be awake, sober, vigilant and prayerful. God needs us to watch what’s happening in our lives and around us, so we don’t fall into temptation, so the coming of the Lord doesn’t take us by surprise.

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