The 8 Prayer Watches: The 1st Watch

At the beginning of the year I wrote a post called The Revelations of Matthew 14: 22-33: The 8 Prayer Watches, that mentioned the 8 prayer watches. Since this month is about defeating the enemy, this will aid you into knowing what to pray for when you are being attacked. For the next 8 weeks I will briefly touch on each prayer watch. This will give you some guidance to grow and be impact full in your prayer life

1st Watch: 6pm -9pm The First Watch of the Night (The Evening Watch):

• During these hours, we regroup from the days activities like work, school and etc. This is the time to be still in front of the Lord, away from the world. In Psalms 46:10 it reads "Be still, and know that I am God;...."


• Mediate and release your anxieties to the Lord in prayer. Issac went out to the field in the evening to mediate. (Gen 24:63 "And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; ...")
  
• This is the time to focus, The Lord uses the evening to purge your fears and anxieties that would keep you from advancing in His perfect plan.


• This is also the time to pray and silence all the voices (curses) of the enemies on your life, family, church, city and nation. Read Psalms 59 During this time the enemy returns to steal your blessings and take hold of the gates of the day. Psalms 59:6 reads, " At evening they return, They growl like a dog, And go all around the city."


• Isaiah 17:12-14 tells us we have the evening tide and it is time to pray that the Lord pass judgement on the wicked and those you would harm our family, community, church and nation.


• Pray for the re newel of the Covenant with God. This is the time when Jesus broke bread between God and Israel (us). Appropriate the provisions in the Blood Covenant and that every covenant you have with God is renewed at this time.
  

I pray that this was helpful and gives you more insight of what to pray for at this time. To learn more about the 1st watch visit the website The National Prayer Watch.

Shaking up our relationship with God

God allows certain things to happen in our lives to shake up our relationship with him. The Holy Spirit laid this thought on my heart. He revealed to me that we should not get comfortable in our praise, prayer, worship or relationship with God. It's like with any relationship, friendship or marriage, when you start to become comfortable, you get into a routine. Than you become bored or detached from the person.

Well, that can happen in our relationship with God. We pray the same prayer and we expect the same answer. We praise and worship the same and we expect the same feeling. Sometimes we just do it because it's routine and we don't have the urge to expand or grow in the relationship. We become comfortable. Than we can get detached from God and His word. This can be a very dangerous place.

In order for us to get out of this runt, God allows certain situations to happen in our lives to revive us.Take for example David, God and David had a close relationship since he was a Shepard boy up to his dieing day as King of Israel. God was always there with David. When he was attacked by a lion and a bear. He was there when he defeated Goliath. God kept him safe through many wars and when Saul tried to kill him. So David knew that God would always have his back.

David built a good relationship with God and knowing from experience that God is merciful, faithful, slow to angry and full of grace. David might have taken all of this for granted when he decided to sleep with another man's wife. Because of David's sins God sent the prophet Nathan to give him His judgment on what he did. David would lose his child with Bathsheba, the woman he committed adultery with and murdered her husband.

This was a painful judgement for David, that he fasted and laid on the ground praying and hoping that the Lord would spare his child. When the child died, David got up and ate. I believe this is when David started to renew his relationship with the Lord. When his servants asked him why he stopped fasting after the child died, David responded and said "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:21-23.

David understood that the Lord could have been gracious enough to save his son but he knew this was not about him. David realized that He had to praise the Lord through his trails and tribulations. That he had to gain a better understanding of what the Lord wanted to do in his life. Even though, God took his son, he still blessed David and Bathsheba by giving them Solomon, the heir of the throne. Through David's iniquities, God restored their relationship and made David the Prince of Praise.

So take the time to think about your relationship with the Lord. Look at all the areas that need improvement and focus on developing a stronger relationship with Him. He loves you and he wants to be constantly on your mind because He is constantly thinking about you. Pray that the Lord continues to renew your prayer life, your praise and worship. Also your walk with him.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2