Blog
“Watch and Pray”
Watch And Pray
Wade Webster
When we think of prayer, we usually think of heads bowed and eyes closed. From a young age, most of us were taught this approach to prayer. We may even remember a sibling ratting us out for not having our eyes closed. Of course, they were unknowingly revealing as much about themselves as they were about us. After all, if their eyes had been closed, they would never have known that our eyes weren’t. Now that we are older, we realize that it isn’t an unpardonable sin to pray with our eyes open. In fact, it is sometimes the prudent thing to do. For instance, if you are praying while driving, I highly recommend keeping your eyes open. Not only is praying with our eyes open sometimes the prudent thing to do, it is also sometimes the prescribed thing to do. On a couple of occasions, Jesus instructed His disciples to watch and pray. The first occasion was in anticipation of his second coming. We read, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mk. 12:32-37). Four times in six verses Jesus told His disciples to watch. Rarely, if ever, do we see one thing mentioned as much in one section of Scripture. The second occasion when Jesus told His disciples to pray was when He was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane in preparation for His death. We read, “Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:37-38). Simon’s head was bowed and his eyes were closed. However, I doubt that his mom or his dad or his siblings would have been proud of him. He wasn’t praying. He was sleeping. Jesus lovingly instructed him to open his eyes (watch) and pray. Satan was lurking as a lion (1 Pet. 5:8). He had already claimed Judas and he was now stalking Peter (Lk. 22:31). Peter should have been watching for temptation and praying for God to deliver him from it (Mat. 6:13), but he wasn’t.
The Greek word that is translated as watch means to give strict attention to something, to be cautious, to be active, to take heed lest some calamity overtake you. You might think of watching in connection with the work of a shepherd. At night, a shepherd would gather his sheep into a fold. He would then sit in the doorway and watch over them to protect them from predators (lions, bears, dogs, etc.) and poachers (John 10:7-16). David, who spent his early years as a shepherd, wrote, “I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes. I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice” (Psalms 119:145-149). David spent his nights watching, praying, and meditating on God’s word. You might also think of watching in connection with the work of a soldier. Soldiers were routinely assigned guard duty. They were to be awake and alert at all times. It was a serious offense to fall asleep at your post (Mat. 28:11-15). In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul employed the image of a soldier in connection with watching. He wrote, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints“ (Eph. 6:10-18). Paul spent his nights watching and praying over the brethren (2 Cor. 11:28).
As we get ready to worship this week, let’s watch and pray. It really is okay to pray sometimes with our eyes open.
