Have you noticed how often the words “watch” and “pray” are combined in the Bible? Our praying should make us more attentive, and our attentiveness should lead us more often to prayer, which should make us even more attentive.
If we should we watchful, for what should be watching? Be alert to the activity of God and pray for its success and be alert to the activity of the Evil One and pray for its defeat.
I remember a story from a pastor who was a Vietnam vet. He recounted how his battalion would set up a firebase in the jungle with huge 8-inch guns. Then, companies of soldiers would fan out in four directions from the base, looking for the enemy. Often, when the enemy was found, they would be in much greater number than the company of American soldiers. When that happened, the company would simply get on the radio and call in the coordinates of the enemy so the firebase could rain shells down on them. The vet said that Christians are God’s forward observers in enemy territory. And when we encounter the enemy, we must call down the firepower of heaven.
Ever since he visualized prayer in that way for me, it has energized my prayer life. We must be alert to the work of the enemy. We must be sensitive to his encroachment in personal relationships, church matters, global affairs -- and when we discover his movements, we must radio those coordinates to heaven, calling on the power of divine guns.
But some of us are so focused on our own plans, pains, and pleasures that we have no sensitivity to the spiritual warfare around us. Maybe today you need to confess, “When it comes to my prayer life, I want to be more alert. I’ve neglected to be God’s forward observer. I’ve been AWOL, but I want to count for him again.”
We discussed this in last week’s message. If you need to review it or join the study for the first time, watch here.
Tom
Sign up here to receive Tom Goodman’s weekly devotional in your email inbox. Tom serves as pastor at Hillcrest Church in Austin, Texas. His sermons are available on YouTube and the HillcrestToGo Podcast and you can find him on Facebook and Twitter.