There will never be a situation where we cannot trust Him. Our watching in prayer aligns our hearts with the truth of His word. Prayer is a posture of trust. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

Our heart is our belief center. We are instructed to fill it with God’s word so we won’t sin. Psalm 119:11. Memorized Scripture lays a foundational reservoir to draw from. When we are tempted, the Holy Spirit will recall that word to stop us in our tracks.

Do you listen to your thoughts? When a thought of doubt comes into your mind, beware because it is a fiery dart. Doubt is a seed that the enemy hopes to plant in our hearts. Yet we are equipped with a mighty weapon – the shield of faith. Ephesians 6:16 declares the truth, “…with which you will be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked one.” 

It is up to us to not allow that seed-thought to penetrate. Don’t dialogue with the thought because that allows it to penetrate.

James tells us that we fall for the enemy’s temptations when we dialogue with the suggestion to sin. James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.”

My Grandpa Clausnitzer had a lot of lures. He used them when he went fly fishing. He tricked the fish into thinking it was something delectable, but if they took the bait they were caught. The devil is a deceiver – he cannot tell the truth.

2 Timothy 2:25-26 was written about those who were trapped by the devil. It says, “…if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.”

Remember Samson? Here is the enemy’s talk behind the scenes. Judges 16:5 says, “…Entice him, and find out where his great strength lies…” What is our strength as believers? Our strength comes through praying in faith, taking God at His word because He is Trustworthy.

I’m still working on memorizing Ephesians 6:18. There are so many truths packed in this verse. This phrase ‘being watchful’ took me on a trail. Let’s visit Jesus in the garden. As we read Luke 22:39-46, we see that it involves being watchful in prayer.

In verse 40 Jesus instructed Peter, James, and John, “…Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” Then He withdrew from them to pray. When He rose up from prayer, verse 45 says, “…He found them sleeping from sorrow.”

Do you ever take a nap when you are overwhelmed? Verse 46 says, “…Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” Matthew 26:41 gives us a clue about being watchful. It says, “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

The Greek for watch means to be on the alert, and vigilant. Peter warned his readers to be sober and vigilant. 1 Peter 5:8. The tempter is always at work, scheming how he can lead us into temptation.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

We are saved by grace. We will live victoriously when we lean hard on grace. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

The above Scripture was written regarding finances, but we can apply it to every aspect of our lives. His abundant grace is bestowed on us when we walk in humility.  James 4:6 says, “…Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

It takes humility to thank the Lord in everything we are going through. Prayer is the posture of humility. We agree with Him that He alone is our Provider. Pride is defeated when we acknowledge that we are absolutely dependent on Him.

Who are you standing in the gap for? James 5:19-20 says, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back…will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.”

There is no viable excuse for not praying. I have read biographies where the son was wayward. Yet the effectual fervent prayers from their mother’s broken hearts were answered in unimaginable ways.

Our mandate is to pray, but the answer is from the Lord. Proverbs 16:1 says, “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.” Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever…”

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” As we seek the Lord through prayer, He may put words in our mouths, or He give us parts of Scripture. Prayer is a posture of faith.

Think of the apostle Paul. In his prison letters, he told his readers that he was praying for them. Colossians 1:9 says, “…since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.”

Ephesians 1:15-16 says, “…after I heard of your faith…do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing.”

James reminded his readers that Elijah had a nature like us. James 5:16 says, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Praying for others is a strategic ambush against the enemy of our soul. In Ezekiel 22:30 the Lord posed a need. It says “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Sobering. 

The end of God’s armor listed in Ephesians 6:10-18 is prayer. Prayer is our weapon against the enemy. I love Joshua 8. He set up an ambush behind Ai. Verse 3 says, “…Joshua chose thirty thousand mighty men of valor and sent them away by night.”

He instructed them to wait for his signal. Verse 14 says that the enemy, “…did not know there was an ambush against him behind the city.” In verse 18 the Lord told Joshua to stretch out his spear toward Ai, “…for I will give it into your hand…”

The moment he stretched out his spear, the men in ambush arose and set fire to the city. Verse 20 says, “And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended to heaven. So they had no power to flee this way or that…”

That is the power of the body of Christ on their prayer knees. The enemy does not know until he is ambushed. He’s powerless to retaliate because he doesn’t know where the fire is coming from. 

Through the prophet, the Lord said “…Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.” In verse 3 Hezekiah prayed. He reminded the Lord of all the good he had done. The verse ended, “And Hezekiah wept bitterly.”

The Lord extended his life 15 years. I remember back when I was in high school. A dear friend was scheduled to have open heart surgery. I was there visiting him with a pastor friend. He told Buster, “You may want to live, but remember Hezekiah. He prayed and the Lord gave him 15 more years. Be careful what you do with your time left.”

Hezekiah’s son Manasseh was 12 years old when he became king. He was evil. He rebuilt all the high places that his father had torn down. He caused his sons to pass through the fire, he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorceries. He set up a carved image in the house of the Lord.

2 Kings 21:16 says that he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood from one end to the other. He made Judah sin by doing evil ~ all because Hezekiah wanted more time.

In the second month, King Hezekiah reinstated the passover. 2 Chronicles 30:26 says, “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon…there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.”

Hezekiah brought great reforms. They broke the sacred pillars in pieces, cut down the wooden images, and threw down the high places and altars. He commanded the people to bring support for the priests. 

2 Chronicles 31:5 says that as soon as the commandment was circulated that they brought in, “…abundantly the tithe of everything.” They laid them in heaps from the third month to the seventh. Verse 21 says of Hezekiah, “In every work that he began…he did it with all his heart. So he prospered.” 

Are you prospering in your life? Is the Lord answering the desires of your heart? Think about what you are praying for. The next part in Hezekiah’s life really sobers me. We have to go to Isaiah 38 to pick up the story. Verse 1 says that Hezekiah was deathly sick. The prophet came to deliver a message.

The Lord is our Masterful Orchestrator. He moves on hearts to fulfill His purpose. Continuing with how He orchestrated during Hezekiah’s reign.

In the first month he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He gathered all the Levites. 2 Chronicles 29:10 says, “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.”

He instructed them to clear out the debris. Verse 27-28 says, “…when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began…So all the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded…”

I love the suddenlies in the Bible. Verse 35-36 says, “…So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced that God had prepared the people, since the events took place so suddenly.”

Are you weary with waiting? Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart…” Isaiah 64:4 says, “…who acts for those who wait for Him.”