Watch with Jesus for one hour because the hour that you watch might be the hour when Jesus returns.

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

“When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.” (Psalms 63:6)

“And what I say unto you I say unto all Watch. (Mark 13:37)

Watch and Pray: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

On the night before Jesus was betrayed and arrested. He spent hours travailing in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Jesus told Peter to watch and pray so that he would not enter into temptation.

The Psalmist says that he remembers the Lord in his bed and meditates on Him throughout the night watches.

This is an encouragement for us to follow this principle. We might not be physically awake all night, but our spirit must be in tune with the living God.

Thus, the Lord impressed upon my heart to write a series on the importance of watching with Jesus.

Romans 12 states,

It is our reasonable service to God to make sacrifices for Him.

When we watch and pray, it is a sacrifice to God, and He will provide the fire of the Holy Spirit to purify and renew our minds so that we will not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

The Meaning of Watch

In the Strong Hebrew/Greek Lexical Concordance, the Hebrew word for watch is ašmurâ (H821 – pronounced: ash-moo-raw), which means a period of time, a night watch, or military watch.

1. To keep or to have charge of: “And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep ^H8104 it” (Genesis 2:15)
2. Watchman: “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep^H8104 the city, the watchman^H8104 waketh but in vain.” (Psalms 127:1)
3. To keep guard or to save life: “The LORD is thy keeper^H8104 the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.” (Psalms 121:5)
4. To watch for or preserve: “The LORD shall preserve^H8104 thee from all evil: He shall preserve^H8104 thy soul. The LORD shall preserve^H8104 thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (Psalms 121:7-8)
5. To observe: “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep^H8104 between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. (Genesis 17:10)
6. To be on one’s guard and to keep oneself from: “Keep^H8104 me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. (Psalms 141:9) Whoso keepeth^H8104 his mouth and his tongue keepeth^H8104 his soul from troubles. (Proverbs 21:23)

Note that one of the Lord’s promises to His people is to be their guard or keeper. So, He keeps watching over us 24/7. He neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalms 121).

Watch in the New Testament

In the New Testament, Jesus tells us to watch for His return at all times, because, like a thief who can attack at any time, we will not know when He will return.

The first word, ‘watch’ in the above verse, is from the Greek word phylakē (pronounced: foo-lak-ay’), and it means in English guard or watch.

1. A watching or to keep watch: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch ^G5438 over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8)
2. Persons keeping watch – a guard or sentinel: “When they were past the first and the second ward^G5438, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him. (Acts 12:8)
3. It is a place where captives are kept or a prison: “Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison^G5438 and ye came unto me. (Matthew 25:36)
4. It is a period of time when a guard is on duty: “And in the fourth watch^G5438 of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. (Matthew 14:25)

The second word ‘watch’ in Matthew 24:43 is from the Greek word grēgoreō (pronounced: gray-gor-yoo’-o – Strong), which means:

1. To watch or give strict attention to something or someone, to be cautious: “Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch^G1127 with me.” (Matthew 26:38) “Watch^G1127 and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
2. To take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtakes you: “Be sober, be vigilant^G1127 because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

The Greek word phylakē is from the root word phylassō ^G5442 and it also means to watch or guard but it also means:

1. To keep from being snatched away, preserve safe and unimpaired: “Now unto him, that is able to keep^G5442 you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1:24)
2. To guard against being lost or perishing: “But the Lord is faithful, who shall establish you, and keep^G5442 you from evil.” (2 Thes 3:3)
3. To observe: “But He said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep^G5442 it.” (Luke 11:28)
4. To avoid, shun flee from: “And He said unto them, ‘take heed and beware^G5442 of covetousness: for a man’s life consist not in the abundance of the things which he possessed” (Luke 12:15)

Based on the above definitions of watch, it means you are on guard or alert at all times.

When you are watching, you are ensuring that you obey the Word of God, you shun evil, and keep yourself unspotted in this world.

In the next post, will look at the significance of watching by being on guard and staying alert.

Are you watching while praying?