When
former President Ronald Reagan was 15 years old, he took a summer job that
would forever change his view of life and its seriousness. He became a lifeguard at Lowell Park on the
Rock River in Dixon, IL and as the story goes, in seven summers, he saved 77
people; he notched a mark on a wooden log for every life he saved. To accomplish that he must have been on
watch; alert to all that was going on around him. Similarly, we as Christians must be on the alert
in prayer. To pray effectively we must
be mentally alert and on guard; a dull, drowsy frame of mind hinders our
prayers.
In
the garden of Gethsemane Jesus told the disciples to “watch and pray” but when
Jesus returned to them after agonizing prayer to His Father, Jesus found them
sleeping. Even when Jesus is suffering
in prayer to His Father at this last hour before being arrested His own
disciples could not stay on guard in prayer as Jesus had commanded them. Jesus told Peter “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one
hour? Keep watch and pray so that you
will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is
weak.” (Mark 14:37 NLT)
Paul
also challenged believers, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and
a thankful heart.” (Col. 4:2 NLT). He made it clear that watching was to be a
specific element of praying effectively.
Isaiah
not only prays for Jerusalem but calls on others to watch and pray “...I have
posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually.”
. By all means, pray for your families
and friends, but don’t forget to expand your prayers beyond your own interests,
“watch and pray” for Christ’ work around the globe. (Eph. 6:18).
