Some make the mistake of praying without watching; others make the mistake of watching without praying; but the safe and only proper method is that which our Lord directed, to combine the two. We are to watch for all the encouragements of the Lord's Word, the evidence of their fulfillment and the signs that betoken His presence and the great changes of dispensation just at hand. We are to watch for everything that will strengthen us in faith and hope and loyalty and love; and while watching we are to pray without ceasing. We are to pray together as the Lord's people; we are to pray in our homes, as families; we are to pray in secret, in private.
Watchfulness surveys our dispositions, thoughts, motives, words, acts, surroundings and the influences operating upon us. Prayer is the uttered or unuttered heart's sincere desire going out to God for good things. The former furnishes us with all the knowledge and energy to arouse us to activity, the latter with all the light and energy from the Word and all the circumstances and other helps from the providences to assist our activity in realizing the blessings that the Lord offers us. Such watching and prayer will deliver us amid and from temptation and will enable the willing spirit to conquer the weak flesh to God's glory.
Matt. 26:38-40, 42-46; Mark 13:33; 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:18; 1 Pet. 5:8, 9; Heb. 3:12, 13; Isa. 26:8, 9; Rom. 7:18-25; 8:3; 1 Cor. 9:27; Gal. 5:16, 17, 24; Phil. 2:12, 13; 3:12-14.
