Watchmen on the Walls

by Rocky Fleming

Day 4:  Prayer

“Prayer is the real battle.” – Tom Seay, NWA Regional Director, Influencers

Here in Northwest Arkansas, we hear Tom repeat the words above often.  I can understand this, for he has seen a dynamic work of God as a result of his prayers.  I think God likes to answer Tom’s prayers for he keeps them simple and to the point.  They are generally about others, and Tom has a lot of faith that God will answer those prayers.  These things seem to be important to God.  So little wonder God responds in a positive way for Tom.  Of course this is true with anything God loves and asks His disciples to do.  If we obey Him and we depend on Him, and we ask Him to help us do things that He has instructed us to do, then I think we can expect a windfall of answered prayers.  This is true with being a “Watchman” for our family and other areas of responsibility.  God gives us this role.  He tells us to do this and He equips us for it.  For that reason, we need to understand that one of our biggest assets for being this guardian is prayer.

I mentioned yesterday that God has been teaching me to use a different reaction strategy when He gives me discernment of a threat coming at the ministry, my family, or myself.  He has said that I should not react, but rather act.  I have come to believe that my action should first be prayer.  Now for you action-oriented types, I must confess that I was one of you.  If I didn’t act quickly and decisively, I felt that I was being passive.  Passivity is the enemy of an action-oriented guy.  It is also the enemy of a spiritual, godly man.  So don’t misunderstand me and think that using prayer as a response is being passive.  On the contrary, prayer is the most strategic and powerful action that we can take so that our next steps will be headed in the right direction.  If we do not prayerfully act before physically acting, there could be a tragedy which we will regret.

I am reminded of a neighbor friend that I grew up with.  He went to Vietnam.  He came back with PTSD.  He never got over it.  As with many vets who had to face horrific things in that war and others, my friend had a life-changing nightmare.  He was on night watch for the encampment he was guarding.  He was literally a “watchman” for his platoon that night.  During the night he heard a noise, and in his fright he shot into the bush.  The next morning, they checked to see if he had hit anyone.  They found a mother and child dead from his bullets.  Of course he felt guilt, remorse and brokenness.  He was no longer fighting a war with an enemy on the other side.  The enemy was now in his thoughts and dreams for the rest of his life.  He died a few years ago having never recovered from his mistake.  This is an example of acting without necessary information and preparation.  It is the same with being a “Watchman on the Wall.”

When we perceive a spiritual threat coming at us, we sometimes think that we have to be the one who stands in the way of the firefight and defend those under our care.  We feel we have to take action, and because of this we often make mistakes.  But by making our first action prayer, we get our weapons locked and loaded and ready to fire when and where we are directed by God.  Until then we hold off until He says, “Act now … in this way.”  Then we have a target and a strategy.  However, many times we never act beyond our prayers, for like Tom Seay says, “Prayer is the real battle.”  It is one of the most powerful weapons we have in spiritual warfare.  Learn to use it.

Tomorrow we will discuss the next step.