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| Garden of Gethsemene |
The word "watch" was used not just once but three times.
Matt 26:38
"Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me"
Matt 26:40
"...Could you not watch with Me one hour?"
The third time the Lord used the word "watch" He used it with the word "pray" for a potent combination.
Matt 26:41
"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak"
What is the meaning of this word "watch"?
I realize that it carries a meaning that is much deeper than "pray". Prayer is necessary but so is watching. Combined with prayer, watching is able to help us to see ahead the things that will happen.
I think it is possible to watch without praying (like a security guard or a sentry on a wall) and it is possible to pray without watching (if we keep on asking without pausing to the listen to the Lord).
Watching involves times of waiting and tuning in to listen to the Lord in His word or His still small voice.
In a sense to "watch" is to be prophetic! It is seeing into the future the events which are to come.
Together with prayer it becomes a potent combination of gaining strength to overcome the flesh (pray) and seeing ahead what is going to happen to the disciples (watch).
In this posting, I will write a little bit more about the fascinating word "watch" and in the next posting about the word "watchman".
The word "watch" used by Jesus 3 times in Matt 26 means in Hebrew "gregoreo" which actually means the 5 As:
1. Stay Awake
2. Be Aware
3. Be Active
4. Be Alert
5. Pay Attention
Just like the energizer battery that has lasting power, to be "watching" is to stay in a position of constant awareness and alertness. In fact it is more powerful than the battery cos it's power is 5 As in the power of the Holy Spirit and not in human strength or ability!
I can really learn something wonderful about effective "watching and praying" from the verses in Matt 26:
1. Watching and praying with each other together in one place strengthens one another. (Matt 26:8)
Jesus asked His disciples to stay in a particular place and to watch with Him. He did not ask them "to watch for Him". If the Lord had meant for Peter, James and John to watch for Him, He would not have taken them aside to accompany Him in the Garden of Gethsemene. It was indeed the desire of the Lord for His core team to be with Him at such a critical moment because He needed them to encourage and support Him!
2. Watching and praying for an extended period of time is necessary to build spiritual strength to overcome the works of the flesh. (Matt 26:40)
Jesus has given a prescribed time period for the "watch and pray"! One hour. I am glad that our morning watches are an hour at a time divided into two hour watches from 6 to 8 am. Which means that we would have prayed 12 hours a week when Saturday comes! (2 hours x 6 = 12 hours).
3. Watching and praying overcomes all the works of the flesh. (Matt 26:41)
Jesus was saying to His disciples that although their spirit was willing their flesh was weak.
Why did He say that? I believe that the Lord knew the testings that would come upon them and that they would surely fail if they did not spend the hour watching and praying with Him!
If our Lord being God Himself needed to spend that one hour watching and praying in order to fight the works of the flesh, how much more us!
If the disciples had obeyed the Lord to watch and pray for one hour with Him as commanded, they could have seen a vision of what will happen to them i.e. the testings that are to come!
I also believe that they could have heard clearly from God the Father what to expect and how to react. They would also have the mental and moral strength to stand firm for Christ!
LORD JESUS give me the AAAAA of watching and praying even as I make a commitment to be in church at 6 am on weekdays for the morning watch. Amen.
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