Watch and Pray

This morning, the words of scripture where Jesus said, “Watch and pray,” resonated in my spirit. When Jesus found his disciples sleeping in the Garden of Gethsemane, he told them to watch and pray.   

I remember something that was said about the late Evangelist Mildred Boyd. It was said that she would fast and pray on holidays. While others would enjoy holiday festivities with food, family, and friends, she would choose to fast. When asked why, she would respond, “Someone has to stay on the wall.”

In other words, someone should be praying when everyone else is relaxing or has their guard down. The Bible says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I. Peter 5:8 (NIV)

“Watch and pray.” The word translated “watch” means “to have the alertness of a guard at night.” A night watchman must be even more vigilant than a daytime guard. In the daytime, danger can often be spotted from a distance. But at night, everything is different. A night watchman must use senses other than sight to detect danger. He is often alone in the darkness and without the defenses he would otherwise employ. There may be no indications of an enemy attack until it happens, so he must be hyper-vigilant, suspecting it at any moment. That is the watching Jesus spoke about, a vigilance that we, too, must adopt in our spiritual lives. We rely on the Holy Spirit to be our spiritual eyes to see danger and discern the potential attacks of the enemy in advance.  

Lord, grant us the vision to see spiritually. Bestow upon us the discernment to recognize when things are not of you. Place a protective hedge around our homes and families. Today, I pray for the covering and protection of the blood of Jesus upon His children as they go and come. Help us to be vigilant prayer warriors on guard.