On the other hand, dear friends, watching without
praying is equally futile. To say, “I will keep myself
right,” and never pray to God to keep you, is self-
confidence, which must lead to evil. If you try to
watch, and do not pray, you will go to sleep, and there
will be an end to your watching. It is only by praying
and watching that you will be able to keep on your
guard. Besides, watching grows wearisome without
prayer, and we soon give it up, unless we have a sweet
interlude of prayer to give us rest, and to help us to
continue watching.
I will not keep you longer when I have said this, put
the two together, “Watch and pray,” or, as my text has
it, “Pray and watch.” One will help the other. Prayer
will call out the watchman, prayer will incite him to
keep his eyes open, prayer will be the food to sustain
him during the night, prayer will be the fire to warn
him. On the other hand, watching will help prayer, for
watching proves prayer to be true. Watching excites
prayer, for every enemy we see will move us to pray
more earnestly. Moreover, watching is prayer. If there
be true watching, the watching itself is prayer. The
two blend the one into the other. Beloved friends, I
send you away with my text ringing in your ears, “We
made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against
them day and night.”
But I have not been speaking to all who are here. Some
of you do not pray, some of you cannot set a watch. The
message for you is, “Ye must be born again.” You cannot
attempt Christian duties till first you have the
Christian life; and the only way to get the Christian
life is to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Come to
the fountain which he has filled with his precious
blood; wash there, and be clean; and then, quickened by
his Spirit, set a watch. I am looking to see some
people brought to Christ at this service, for although
I have been preaching to God’s people, if they will
watch for you, and pray for you, there will come a
blessing to you through their watching and praying. The
Lord grant that it may come to many of you! “Seek ye
the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him when
he is near.” May many seek and find the Lord to-night;
and may many call upon him in truth! “Whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.” God
grant that it may be so to everybody here, for Jesus’
sake! Amen.
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
