And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? (Mark 14:37)

We all have been through some rough times in life when we need a friend to pray with us.

This was the situation in which Jesus found himself when He travailed in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His suffering.

Jesus wanted a friend to watch and pray with Him for at least one hour.

However, the spirit of slumber overcame the disciples and they neglected their master and friend in His time of need.

Consequently, when Jesus was arrested they lost hope.

We are presently living in a world filled with sin and temptations where it is easy to lose hope and so to survive we must obey Jesus’s command.

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

We must stay focused and on guard when we pray.

The entire four watches of the night are significant but you can claim your victory on the fourth watch of the night.

Let us look at an example in the Bible of the power of watching and praying.

A biblical example of the mighty move of God when the believers pray continuously.

After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, the apostles went out throughout the region to spread the gospel to the Jews. Many people were converted but the apostles made many enemies as well.

Acts 12 tells us that Herod harassed the apostles and captured and killed James the brother of John. When Herod saw that his vicious act pleased the Jews, he seized Peter and threw him into prison.

Herod arrested Peter during the days of unleavened, bread from the 13^th to the 21^st day of the first month (Matthew 26:17).

The guards tied Peter and placed him between four quads of soldiers to watch him. This means that he was constantly guarded by four different soldiers on each watch of the night.

Peter was willing to die for His Lord so he neither worried nor cried but slept through the night.

However, the Church was not satisfied. The enemy had captured and killed one of their brethren while they were not vigilant.

The enemy caught them off guard and unaware but this time they refused to allow the enemy to overcome them.

Thus, throughout the eight days of unleavened bread, the church kept a vigil and prayed continuously throughout the watches.

They united together in one place similar to the day of Pentecost and they kept the light burning as they offer up the sacrifice of prayers to God.

On the night of the last day of the Passover, which would have been Peter’s last night alive because the following day Herod was planning to deliver Peter before the Jews to kill him, Peter was sleeping bounded between two soldiers while the other two guards were at the door securing the prison.

Suddenly, a bright light illuminated the dark prison and the angel of the Lord stood before Peter.

I am sure that the brilliant light must have blinded the eyes of the guards and paralyzed them.

The angel struck Peter on the side and lifted him saying, “Arise quickly!”

That heavenly strike broke the chains that bound Peter and they fell off his hands to the ground.

The angel said to Peter, “Gird yourself and tie your sandals.” Peter obeyed.

Then the angel commanded, “Put on your garment and follow me.”

Without hesitation, Peter put on his garment and ran behind the angel.

Even though Peter was moving and obeying the voice that was speaking to him, he thought that he was in a dream or having a vision.

It was not until the angel took Peter passed the first and second guard post to the great iron gate, which opened on its own accord and they walked onto the street that reality struck Peter and he realized that it was indeed real and not a dream.

As soon as Peter was on the road the angel vanished from his sight.

Peter realized that the Lord had delivered him from the hand of Herod and from the expectation of the Jewish people.

Then Peter went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark where the apostles and believers were gathered praying.

It was an astonishing moment when they saw Peter standing before them unharmed.

The Lord had miraculously answered their prayers at the right time on the fourth watch of the night just before daybreak.

This was indeed a time of rejoicing for the believers when their prayers were answered and the enemy’s plots destroyed.

“Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and their abode.” (Acts 12:18-19)

Later the angel of the Lord killed Herod because he presented himself as a god before the people and refused to glorify one and only God. He was eaten by worms and then he died.

“But the Word of God grew and multiplied.” (Acts 12:24)

I pray that the Word of God will grow and multiply in your life.

I pray that as you join with your brethren and pray through the watches you will experience the mighty move of God in your life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Join us next Sunday as I share the final conclusion of the series watch and pray when we examine how we too can celebrate answered prayers when we pray through the watches.