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Watchings Often

Are you naturally an ‘Early Bird‘ or a ‘Night Owl?’

I previously wrote about the benefits of rising early…

I now want to write about the discipline of keeping the watch

In 2 Corinthians 11:27, the apostle Paul lists the things he has endured. Included in that list are, ‘In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.’

There are a few things listed there that seem to have fallen out of favor with much of the Western Church, including fasting often and watchings often.

In this article I want to explore this strange phrase; watchings often

Wake Up O Sleeper

Some would say The Church in Britain has largely been asleep in recent times.

Is it time to wake up?

‘Wake up oh sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will give you light…’ -Ephesians 5:14

In order to see The Church wake up, we may literally need to wake up in the night to intercede for her as saints of old did in the past.

What do we see in scripture relating to the night watch?

‘I will lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night.’ -Psalm 63:6

‘I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.’ -Psalm 119:148

‘Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.’ -Psalm 55:17

What it means “To Watch”

In the New Testament there are 5 Greek words that relate to The Watch:

• Gregoreuo means to keep awake, to be vigilant, to refrain from sleeping, and to be watchful. It is derived from the Greek root egeiro, which means to become attentive to one’s own dangerous position and to the salvation of Gods delivering from that danger
• Phulate has a meaning of guarding, keeping or watching. This watch relates to divisions of time, watches of the night, the night being divided into four watches
• Koustodia has a meaning of custody, i.e. a Roman sentry-watch
• Nepho has a meaning to abstain from wine, to be discreet, to be sober- watch
• Agrupneo means to be sleepless, to keep awake- watch

Read: Matthew 24:36-51 KJV

V42      ‘Watch (gregoreuo) therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’

V43-44 ‘But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch (phulake) the thief would come, he would have watched (gregoreuo) and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready…’

The Importance of the Watch

‘All the people shall keep the watch’ -2 Chronicles 23:6 KJV

‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch (agrupneo) and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch (gregoreuo). Watch (gregoreuo) ye 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 unto you I say unto all, Watch (gregoreuo)’ -Mark 13:32-37

‘Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed.’ -Revelation 16:15

‘For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ -1 Thessalonians 5:2-11

‘O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the LORD day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray.’ -Isaiah 62:6

King David set up round the clock prayer and worship watches;

‘Oh, praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, you who serve at night in the house of the LORD. Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the LORD. May the LORD, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion’ -Psalm 134:1-2

What is a Watchman?

Ezekiel is perhaps the best biblical example of a watchman:

• A Watchman comes under the fivefold ministry of Prophet. All watchmen are prophets, but not every prophet is a watchman.
• The Watchman brings a focus by speaking the “now” word of God. As the intercessor hears the “now” word + begin to pray in that direction- the results are much more powerful and effective.
• Kept a lookout for occurrences- to see and hear in the spiritual realm.

‘I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint.’ -Habakkuk 2:1

• The Watchman sounds a warning
• A Watchman watches over the Word (fulfillment of promises), Gods People, Cities, Territories & Nations

What to Watch For?

• Watching for the Lord (Matthew 24:36-51)
• Watching for the Devil (Mark 14:37-38, 1 Peter 5:8)
• Watching our own Lives (Luke 21:36)
• The watch of the enemy (Psalm 37:32)
• Watchman over the House of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:1-2;11-14; 30-34)
• Watchman over the City (Jeremiah 29:7; 5:1, Esther 4:14)
• Watchman over the Land (Jeremiah 27:5; Leviticus 18:24-28; 26:40-42; Deuteronomy 32:8; Jeremiah 4:16; Jeremiah 25:30-31)
• Watchman over Israel (Zechariah 2:5, 12; Jeremiah 31:6, 35-36; Isaiah 62:1, 6-7, 10; Romans 11:31)
• Watchman over Business (Luke 19:11-27; Ephesians 4:11)
• Watchman over the Word (Daniel 9:21-27; Isaiah 11:1-16; Acts 3:21; Acts 2:15-21; Luke 21:22-24)
• Watching over Prophecies and Visions (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Benefits of Keeping the Watch

• God spoke to the boy Samuel in the night watches (1 Samuel 3:1-10)
• God reveals deep + mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness for everything that is hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light and made plain to all (Daniel 2:22 + Luke 8:17)
• You hear Gods judgments and partner with him in decrees: ‘All night long I search for you; earnestly I seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people turn from wickedness and do what is right.’ (Isaiah 26:9)

Ordering the Watch

‘You too must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the house will return – in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak.’ -Mark 13:35

In this passage of scripture Jesus mentions the four watches of the night: evening, midnight, cock-crowing and morning…

The First Watch: Evening (6:00pm-9:00pm)

‘Arise [from your bed]; cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches: pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift up your hands towards him for the lives of your young children, who faint from hunger at the head of every street.’ -Lamentations 2:19

These two stories indicate two occasions where Jesus withdrew to pray with his disciples in the evening: Matthew 26:36-44 & Matthew 14:15-23

‘Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach, and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives’ -Luke 21:37

During the evening watch we regroup. Most of us have worked all day and would just love to just “chill out” during this time.

However, this is a time that we need to still ourselves from the world.

‘Be still and know that I am God.’ -Psalm 46

Begin at 6pm with Meditation (Joshua 1). The evening watch is the time for meditation. Try to find at least 30 minutes when you can meditate before going to bed. Then out of your meditation, find 30 minutes of prayer time to release your anxieties to the Lord.

• As Isaac’s meditated he saw his future (Genesis 24:63)
• Ask God to give you a clear interpretation of the day ahead (Matthew 16:2)
• Ask the Lord to visit you in the evening watch. This is a time when perhaps you will see angels (Daniel 8-9)

This is the watch Jesus also pulled aside into, to find his place of quietness. Try to do this before you go to bed each day.

The Second Watch: Midnight (9pm-12:00am)

Key Scriptures: Matthew 26:45-56 & Matthew 14:23

‘At midnight I rise to thank you for your just laws’ -Psalm 119:62

This is a time of thanksgiving

This is also a time of visitation

This is a time when the Lord begins to prepare you to receive many acts of change in the earth

It’s also a time of Corporate Intercession

The Lords intervention and deliverance- Exodus 11:4, 12:29, Judges 16:3

1 Kings 3:20 The thief in the night

Acts 16:25 At midnight Paul & Silas were praying and singing hymns to God

The Third Watch: Breaking of Day/Cock-crowing (12:00am-3:00am)

Key Scriptures: Matthew 26:57-75 & Matthew 14:24

What you entered into the last watch can carry into the 3^rd watch

This is a watch where there is much spiritual activity occurring

Many times we are awakened during this watch because of a dream that God has given us

Most of us equate this watch to Peter’s trial that led him to deny his relationship with the Lord (Matthew 26:37,74; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34; John 13:38)

On a personal note, this is the watch, the darkest part of the night, when Marsha and I awoke during our holiday in Shropshire, we saw evil spirits gliding past our bed like shadows- a couple of times I went into intercession, it happened on 2 consecutive nights!

The Fourth Watch: Morning (3:00am-6:00am)

Key Scriptures: Matthew 27:1-2 & Matthew 14:25-32

‘And have you ever ordered the morning, “Get Up!” or told the Dawn, “Get to work!” so you could seize the earth like a blanket and shake out the wicked like cockroaches? As the sun brings everything to light, brings out all the colours and shapes, the cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked, they’re caught in the very act.’ -Job 38:12-15

Jesus walked on water through the storm- the disciples supernaturally “got to the other side” and experienced an anointing for territorial deliverance like never before

The Lord’s time of revealing His glory

In Scripture it is referred to as:

• “Twilight” of the morning (Job 7:4; Psalm 119:147)
• “The change from darkness to light” (Job 17:12)
• “The approaching of the morning” (Judges 19:26)
• “The eyelids of the morning” (Job 3:9; 41:18)
• “The ascent or rise of the morning” (Joshua 6:15)
• “The approaching of the dawn” (Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:1)

The 4^th Watch is the last portion of the night, so we always need to be ready to arise & watch

Ask the Lord to meet you early so you are prepared for the day ahead (Exodus 34:2; 16:7; Isiah 50:4; 58:8; Mark 1:35)

Many times you are going to have dreams during this time frame of the day

Watching for His Return

When speaking in the Gospel of Luke about His Return, Jesus says this;

‘If He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.’

Notice He does not mention the first or the fourth watch, but refers to His coming to the second or the third watch

Watch with me for One Hour

So where are you at in terms of watching with the Lord?

Are you a veteran who prays for hours into the night?

Perhaps you wake up at 3am regularly to spend an hour praying in tongues?

Or you maybe someone who has never heard of all considered the night watches?

For the former – take a good look back through the scriptural references throughout this article concerning the various watches of the night to see how you can deepen your watch

For the latter – can you begin with just one hour?

Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Couldn’t you watch with me one hour?” (See Matthew 26:40 and Mark 14:37)

Acknowledgments:

‘The Watchman’ by Martha Lucia & Dana Millar

‘Reordering your Day’ by Chuck Pierce

What to Read Next…

If you’ve enjoyed this article, you will also enjoy ‘Watches of the Day’