In James 5:16 (NIV), we are told that the
“prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
As we pray, we stand
watch over our families, cities, and nations. Just as men stood on city walls
in the Bible to watch for approaching danger, God calls us to be modern-day
watchmen and warn
those who are in danger (2 Kings 9:17-18).
We are to watch not only for the enemy’s activity but also for
the manifestation of God’s plans.
If we watch for the enemy and announce his
activity, we can avert the devil’s plans to steal, kill
and destroy what God
has for us. Jesus said in Matthew 24:43, “But know this, if the good man of
the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched
and would not
have suffered his house to be broken up.”
Today more than ever, it is important that we pray and seek
the mind of the Lord: “Thy Kingdom
come.Thy will be done in earth, as it is
in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Major decisions we are
confronted with require us
to know God’s individual will for our lives.
With the Holy Spirit’s leading, we can discover God’s will and
expose the plans of the enemy
through strategic prayer.
The Bible speaks of “watches,” which are specific times of the
day or night. There are basically eight
watches covering 24 hours. This is
because everyone has a prayer watch, even though they may not
know it. This
is why you may find yourself repeatedly praying at specific times of the day
or evening.
If you have ever been awakened during the night or are wondering
why you are being led to pray
at specific times, it is probably because God
wants you to pray or intercede for someone. Every
prayer watch has a purpose.
First
Watch (The Evening Watch from 6:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.)
A Time of Quiet Reflection
Jesus used the Evening Watch to go aside and pray (Matthew
14:15-23).
After the business of the day is a time to release anxieties to
the Lord before going to sleep.
This is a time to meditate on God’s Word.
Meditation quiets our emotions, realigns our mind,
and frees our will to do
the will of God. What we could not hear clearly earlier in the day, we
begin
to hear during this time. During this watch, ask God to give you clear
directions for the
next day and about His call on your life.
Jesus also healed many sick people during this time (Mark
1:32; Luke 4:40). This watch is usually
for those who have a strong apostolic
calling and anointing to break strongholds and walls. This
watch is for
seasoned Christians who are determined to do mighty things with boldness in
the Lord.
Period for covenant renewal with God
Through Jesus Christ, we have a Covenant with God. In this
watch,
we can ask God to manifest the blessings of His Covenant
into our lives.
This is also a time to release judgment on the wicked and decree
into the new day God’s blessings
upon our life, family, church, city and
nation
Whatever happens during the day is determined to a large
extent by what is done during the night.
The evening is the “foundation” of
night and the beginning of the watches. People involved in the
occult say
that they begin their active witchcraft at midnight. If we begin to pray
strategically during
this watch with the Holy Spirit’s leading, we can
prevent the kingdom of darkness from releasing
curses on the new day.
Second
Watch (from 9:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M.)
During this watch, intercessors are able to impact the
spiritual realm before the enemy gets ready to
wreck havoc. Psalm 119:62
says, “At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You because of Your
righteous judgments.” It was at the midnight hour that God struck down the
first-born of Egypt,
which resulted in His people being released from
captivity and set free to worship Him. This watch
is a time when God
deals with the enemies that are trying to keep us from entering into His
perfect
plan for our lives.
In the natural, this time is characterized by deep darkness.
In the spiritual realm, the Second Watch
is when diabolical assignments and
sabotage from the enemy are set in motion. This is why it is
important for
intercessors at this watch to pray for God’s protection over their families,
cities, and
nations: Let God arise and His enemies be scattered” (Psalm
68:1).
This is also the time for divine judgments, deliverance,
prayer for the economy, tearing down walls
of darkness and all the wicked
structures from our economic, educational, religious, and political
systems.
Pray aloud Psalm 59 and Psalm 68:1-4. Pray that God will arise
and scatter His enemies. Have a
session of praise and worship exalting God
and commanding all creation to praise Him. Read aloud
Psalm 148.
Third
Watch (The Breaking of Day Watch from 12:00 A.M. to 3:00 A.M.)
This is a period of much spiritual activity. This watch hour
will strengthen your faith. It is the same
time that Peter denied Christ
three times. (Matthew 26: 34, 74; Mark 144:30; Luke 22:34; John 13:38).
The Witching Hour
This watch is the darkest and most demonic part of the night,
especially at midnight. Witches,
warlocks, and satanists have fun and start
their incantations during this part of the night. The devil
operates at this time because this is the time that men are in a deep sleep and there are not
as many
people praying to oppose him (1 Kings 3:20). This watch calls for
seasoned intercessors.
You must not be afraid of witchcraft during this watch. The
Lord has given us dominion and authority
over all things. This watch is
geared for those who already know how to use their spiritual armor and
war
against the enemy. This is the time to pray against satanic attacks on your
life, family members,
marriages, churches and communities. We are most
vulnerable to the devil’s attacks because at this
time we are asleep.Declare
Psalm 91:5-6 for Divine protection for yourself, family, church, city and
nation.
Time to set your day before it begins
This is a powerful watch to be on when commanding the morning
and setting things in place before
thedevil and his demons have a chance to
ruin it. Plane crashes, car crashes, deaths, job loss, and many
other acts of
the devil can be stopped during this watch when intercessors obey the voice
of the Lord and
saturate this time with powerful, Spirit-led prayers.
Time for spiritual warfare
This is the time to awake out of sleep and confront every
storm of destruction and distraction that is
robbing you of God’s blessings
and provisions on your life. Also, it is the time to speak peace and calm
into every situation of turbulence and confusion.
Time to strengthen yourself spiritually and
seek direction
Be vigilant during this time and watch for God’s revelation
for breakthrough and for His plans
and purposes for your life and territory.
Time to pray for release from every prison
The Apostle Paul and Silas were released from prison during
this time (Acts 16:25). In addition, God
released the people of Israel from
Egypt at this time (Exodus 12:310). According to Judges 16:3-4,
Samson
escaped from Gaza at midnight by pulling up the gates of the city and
carrying them out
with him.
Time to make your case in prayer
This is the period to pray for God’s provision to be released
(Luke 11:5-13; Acts 16:3). It is also
time for miracles and for applying the
Blood of Jesus.
Dreams flow during this hour
Often, we are awakened during this time with dreams God has
given to us. God uses dreams and
visions to bring instruction and counsel to
us as we sleep. He also reveals areas where we need to
concentrate our
prayers and intercession. “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep
sleep falls
upon men, while slumbering on their beds, then He opens the ears
of men, and seals their
instructions.” (Job 33:15).
The devil can also attack you in dreams (nightmares), so
always pray before you go to sleep and
ask God to keep you from the enemy’s
devices.
Fourth
Watch (The Morning Watch from 3:00 A.M. to 6:00 A.M.)
This fourth watch is always important because this is the last
watch of the night. This watch is
the that satanic agents who went out
to perform their activities are returning to their bases. This is
the time of
the morning when the Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt (Exodus
12 and 14).
This is also the time Jesus walked on the water to
help the disciples who were caught in the storm
(Matthew 14:25-33). This
is the time to establish the course of your day by speaking God’s Word and
breaking everything that would attempt to hinder His will for your life to
manifest on third day.
(Psalm 19:2).
Command your morning
Matthew 24:43 says: “But know this, that if the goodman of the
house had known in what watch the
thief would come, he would have watched,
and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”
This is a disciplined
prayer watch for those who have the power and training to wake up early in
the
morning and set the atmosphere. This is the time for all of the enemy’s
plans and strategies to fail. This
watch is for gaining territory,
establishing the spirit of prosperity and stopping the devil from hijacking blessings
and favor. This prayer watch sets our day before it begins. This is an
opportunity to set things
in place before the devil and his demons have a
chance to ruin it. Accidents, deaths, thefts, job loss, and
any other acts of
the devil can be stopped during this watch when intercessors obey the voice
of the
Lord and fill the morning with powerful prayers.
Time for Declaring God’s Word
This is a time for angelic activity or intervention and a time
for blessings from heaven. When we pray,
the Lord hears our prayers and sends
His angels to work on our behalf. Consecrate all the work for the
day and
pray for protection for God’s people throughout the day. “You will make your
prayer to Him,
He will hear you, and you will pay your vows. You will also
declare a thing and it will be established
for you; so light will shine on
your ways” (Job 22:27-28).
Fifth
Watch (The Early Morning Watch from 6:00 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.)
Time that God strengthens Christians (Acts
2:15; Psalm 2:7-9)
The spiritual significant of sunrise is having Jesus Christ,
the King of kings and the Lord of lords, rise
over us (Malachi 4:2). During
this watch, pray for such issues as healing in your body, relationships,
family, government, and the economy.
Time for the Holy Spirit to prepare us
for service (2 Corinthians 9:30; Ephesians 4:12)
Acts 2:15 says it was the “third hour of the day” (or 9:00
A.M.) when the Holy Spirit descended in the
Upper Room on the day of
Pentecost to equip the 120 disciples for service. Regular work schedules
usually begin between the hours of 6:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. As you step out,
ask the Holy Spirit to
equip you for the day.
Sixth
Watch (9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.)
Time to see God’s promises fulfilled
This is a time to watch for the Word of the Lord to be
fulfilled in your life. This is also the time to
receive the supply of all
resources needed for every project God has assigned you to fulfill
(Exodus
12:35-36). This was the time that the Israelites got everything that they had
to use to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness. Pray for the provision to
accomplish whatever God wants you to do.
TIme to reflect on the power of
the Cross (healing, prosperity, forgiveness, strength)
During this time, Christ was sentenced and crucified at
the third hour, or 9:00 A.M. (Mark 15:25,
Matthew 27:45). After having been
on the Cross for three hours, darkness came upon the face of the
earth at
12:00 P.M. and continued until 3:00 P.M., when the period of darkness ended.
Because of
Christ’s crucifixion, we must crucify the deeds of our flesh
according to Romans 8:12-15.
We must take up our cross and commit ourselves
to Jesus Christ.
The
Seventh Watch (12:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M.)
Midday is an hour of rest and a time to seek the Lord. During
this watch, Christ was on the Cross
atoning for the sins of the world
and restoration man’s relationship with God. Additionally, Peter had
a vision of the clean and the unclean animals which God used to let
Peter know that God was including
the Gentiles in His redemptive plan.
Also, it was during this watch that Daniel always went home to
pray.
Unfortunately, this is also the time for destruction to run
rampant in our nation.
Time of the Secret Place of the Most High
(Psalm 91:1)
It is very important to pray in line with Acts 10:9 and Psalm
91:5,6, 14. This is the time to pray to
“dwell in the secret place of the
Most High, abiding under the shadow of the Almighty,” and making
the Most High your habitation. Pray and cut off all satanic arrows that are released
at this time so that
they will not get you or your family.
Time of letting your light shine brighter
(Provers 4:18)
The midday is the beginning of the sixth hour (12:00 P.M.)
This is the time when the sun is at its
fullest and brightest. Pray that your
life would be bright. This is also the time to pray to not be led into
any
temptation, trap or snare of the enemy.
Eighth
Watch (3:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.)
The Hour of Dying To Self and Rejoicing
in the Power of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ died on the cross during this watch. (3:00 P.M.)
He took on the sins of man so that we can
be reconciled to God through the
His Blood. Those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice can now live a
triumphantlife through Him and are allowed to come boldly before the throne of God the
Father.
As Jesus diedand was resurrected, so the Bible calls us to die to
self and live for Christ. The Apostle
Paul said in Galatians 2:20 (NIV), “I
have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ
lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave
himself for me.” After His resurrection, Jesus Christ gave
us power to live a life of victory and the
authority to accomplish God’s will
here on earth: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven
andon earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
(Matthew 28:18-20,
NIV).
PRAYING THE BIBLICAL WATCHES
The
Watch of the Lord, or watching in prayer, is very important to the plans and
order of God. Jesus
commanded us to “watch” with Him in several gospel
accounts, particularly in the time called “the last days.
” He described how
we should respond when we see earthquakes, famines, wars and rumors of wars,
and so on.
Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom, and the keys include prayer:
"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth
about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for
them by My Father who
is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there
I am
in their midst" (Matthew 18:19-20).
Jesus wants groups of two or three people to gather in His
name and ask in symphony or harmony. (The
Greek word translated “agree” is
sumphoneo, or “harmonious.”) This is the heart of the “watch of the
Lord.”
Studying God’s word reveals a model for prayer that is divided
into eight watches covering 24 hours.
Based on God’s creation, the days and the morning were
the first day.” (Gen. 1:5)
The First (Evening) Watch is
from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. The Israelites ordered their prayer times
accordingly, beginning with 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. which is a time of quiet
reflection. Jesus used the evening
watch to go and pray. (Matt.
14:15-23) In the early church, this watch at sundown was a time of corporate
prayer (Vespers) where candleswere lit, Psalms sung, thanksgiving offered,
prayers said and blessings invoked.
After the business of the day, it
is a time to release anxieties to the Lord before sleep. During this
watch, ask
God to give you clear directions for the day ahead and about His
call on your life.
The Second Watch is
from 9:00 p.m. to midnight. Ps. 119:62 says, “At midnight I will rise
to give thanks to
You because of Your righteous judgments.” It was at the
midnight hour that God struck down the first-born of
Egypt, and,
consequently, His people were released from captivity and set free to worship
Him. This watch
is a time when God deals with the enemies that are trying to
keep us from entering into His perfect plan for
our lives. In the
natural, this time is characterized by deep darkness. In the spiritual
realm, the Second Watch
is when diabolical assignments and sabotage are set
in motion as supernatural creatures, including witches
and demons and
practices like black magic, collaborate to effect change and transformation
for the evil one.
It is important for intercessors at this watch to
give thanks for the protection of the shadow of God’s wing and
pray for a
visitation from the Lord. “Let God arise and His enemies be scattered.”
The Third Watch from
midnight to 3:00 a.m. is a period of much spiritual activity. It was
the hour that caught
Peter denying his Lord. Often we are awakened
during this time with dreams God has given to us. God uses
dreams and visions to bring instruction and counsel to us as we sleep and reveals areas
where we need to
concentrate our prayers and intercession. “In a dream,
in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men,
while slumbering on
their beds, then He opens the ears of men, and seals their instructions.”
(Job 33:15)
It is a time to pray to fortify yourself against doubt and
unbelief and even the direction of your path. Be vigilant
during this time
and watch for God’s revelation for breakthrough for His plans and purposes
for your life and
territory.
The Fourth Watch is the morning
watch from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. The spirit realm takes every word uttered
from man as a command and mandate. Command your morning! Consecrate all
the work for the day and pray
for protection for God’s people throughout the
day. “You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, and you
will
pay your vows. You will also declare a thing and it will be established
for you: so light will shine on
your ways.” (Job 22:27-28)
The Fifth Watch is from 6am – 9am
in the early morning. To watch is to set yourself to see what God will
say to you. (Hab. 2:1) Practicing hearing the voice of God is essential to
all the watches. One intercessor
shared this insight, “I find the main focus
of a watch is found this way: the Word and an event in time intersect.
That’s it! That is the target. It is like the scope on a gun. The point of
the vertical Word and the horizontal
time intersect (whether it is a sound,
an event, a song). That point is the starting point of the watch.”
The Sixth Watch from 9:00 a.m. to
noon. It is generally accepted that this time period marked both
Christ’s sentencing by Pilate and crucifixion, and the descent of the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost. The Israelites
also observed this period as a time for
corporate prayer. It was at this daily time of prayer and instruction at
the
temple that Peter and John were attending when they healed the lame man at
the Gate Beautiful.
(Acts 2: 1-8) The watchman guards and watches
for the word of the Lord to be fulfilled. Pray for God’s
redemptive purposes
in your life and region and watch how He answers your prayer during this
time.
The Seventh Watch from noon to 3:00
p.m. at mid-day gives an hour of rest and a time to seek the
Lord.
Historically, we find Christ on the cross atoning for our
sins. Redemption and restoration for mankind
manifests through God’s
Son. Peter received the vision of the clean and unclean animals which
heralded
the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan. It was
during this watch that Daniel always went
home to pray and consequently was
thrown into a den of lions. Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den,
and Daniel’s accusers became the lions’ dinner instead.
The Eighth Watch of the day from
3:00-6:00 p.m. sees the close of the business day. It gives an
opportunity
for prayer. The Lord tells us to pray without ceasing. The Bible
records a pattern and plan for
daily prayer that marshals his army’s
forces. Beloved, it’s time to watch and pray. Prayer moves the hands
of God. Even as He spoke the
universe into creation, God created us in His image.
Our spoken words
and prayers carry the power of creation within them. As intercessors
and God’s watchmen
on the walls of our families, cities and nations, we are
called to watch over our assignments to see approaching
danger and warn those
endangered. (2Kings 9:17,18)
We are to watch for the good things and good
messengers God sends to His people. We are to watch for the
gifted ones and
the coming of the Lord’s Presence. We are to alert the people to roll out the
welcome mat, saying,
“Come, come, come, come! Angels of healing, you are
welcome here. Spirit of the Lord, You are welcome
here. Gifts of the Spirit,
you are welcome here. Spirit of conviction of sin, righteousness, and
judgment come;
you are welcome here. Come, come, come, come!” We are to roll
out the red carpet to the name and the
blood of Jesus, and say, “Come!”
We are to watch not only for the enemy’s
activity but also for the Lord’s plans. If we watch for the enemy
and
announce his activity, we can avert the thief’s plans to steal, kill and
destroy. As Jesus states in
Matt. 24:43, “But
know this, if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief
would come,
he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be
broken up.” Today, more than ever,
it is imperative that
intercessors watch and pray, seek the Lord’s direction, and pray, “His will
be done in the
earth as it is in heaven.” In Matthew 24 :“Watch
out that no one deceives you” (verse
4); “See to it that you are not alarmed” (verse
6); “Stand firm to the end” (verse 13); “Keep
watch” (verse 42). In Mark 13: “Watch
out that no one
deceives you” (verse 5); “Do
not be alarmed” (verse 7); “Be on your guard” (verse
9); “Do not worry” (verse 11); “Stand
firm” (verse 13); “Be on your guard”(verse
23); “Be on your guard. Be alert” (verse 33);
“Keep
watch” (verse 35); “Watch out” (verse
37).
And in Luke 21:“Watch out that you are not
deceived” (verse 8); “Do not be frightened” (verse
9); “Stand firm” (verse 19); “Stand
up and lift up your heads” (verse 28); “Be
careful” (verse 34).; “Be always on the watch
and pray” (verse 36)
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