The Watch of the Lord

Watch Defined

Biblical Mandate
1. The word watch occurs 11 times in three Gospel accounts of Matt. 24, Mark.13 and Luke. 21.
2. The phrase Watch and pray is found in Matt. 26:41 and Mark. 14:38. Matt. 26:41 – Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
3. Col. 4:2 – Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving.
Definitions of Watch
1. Greek word, gregoreo – “to be awake or vigilant”
2. Dictionary definitions for “watch”:
  1. “Keeping awake in order to guard”
  2. “A close observation”
  3. “To be on the alert”
  4. “To be alert”
3. Watching is to sleeping as fasting is to eating.

Scriptures on Watching

Military Terminology
1. II Chron. 23:1-11 – …And he stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and by the house, around the king. Then they brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him and said, “Long live the king!”…
2. Isa. 21:6-12 – For thus the Lord says to me, “Go, station the lookout, let him report what he sees… Let him pay close attention, very close attention.” Then the lookout called, “O Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, and I am stationed every night at my guard post…
3. I Sam. 11:11 – And it happened the next morning that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp at the morning watch, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. And it came about that those who survived were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
Specific Watches Stated in Scripture
1. Exod. 14:24 – The morning watch.
2. Psa. 130:5-6 – Watching for the morning.
3. Matt. 4:25; Mark. 6:48 – The fourth watch.
4. Acts 3:1 – The hour of prayer; the ninth hour.
5. Dan. 6:10 – Three times daily was his custom.
6. Psa. 55:17 – Three times daily prayer ascended.
The Task of the Watchman
1. Isa. 62:6-7 – To remind the Lord day and night.
2. Luke 18:1, 7 – To avenge His elect.
3. Hab. 2:1 – To watch and see what the Lord would speak.
4. Prov. 8:34-35 – To listen, wait, and watch daily.
5. 1 Peter 4:7 – To be of sober spirit; serious.
6. 1 Peter 5:8 – Vigilant (gregoreo) to be on the alert.
7. Rev. 3:2 – To bring from death to life.

Watching in the Spirit

Steps for Watching
To be alert causes us to be aware and have a close observation.
We need to:
1. Be spiritually aware of specific world needs.
2. Reflect mentally about “news” of the day.
3. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Father’s heart to us.
Seeing Things Invisible
1. To “watch” in prayer is to perceive with our spiritual eyes.
2. Jonathan Swift – “Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.”
3. Anne Townsend – “If I can imagine what it must be like to be the one for whom I am praying, then I find that I can begin to intercede for that person. My imagination leads me on to want to be more deeply involved with him in his own life. This involvement leads to caring, caring leads to love, and love leads to intercession.”
4. I Cor. 2:9-10 – … For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.

Promises for Watchmen

Three Great Promises
1. Matt. 26:40-41 – This is the way of escape from temptation. And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? Keep watching and praying, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
2. Rev. 16:15 – Keep your garments clean. “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.”
3. Matt. 24:42-44 – This is a way of being prepared. Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

Our Goal:

Revelation 20:1-3 … And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time.

What is the chain that is used to bind up the devil? Could it be the prayer chain laced with praise?