March 03 2026

Tuesday March 03

“Being Watchful, With All Perseverance”

Ephesians 6:18

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful

to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”.

Today we are continuing in Ephesians 6:18. Over the last few days, we have been talking about praying in the Spirit. Now we come to the last part of this verse, which says, “being watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” Being watchful… with all perseverance. What does it mean to be watchful in prayer? It means to stay awake and be alert. Remember the passage in 1 Peter 5:6–8: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

To be watchful is what Jesus was speaking about in the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples in Matthew 26:41. As He went a little farther to pray by Himself, He told Peter, James, and John, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Stay awake. Pray. Be alert as you pray. Jesus said it another way in Matthew 6:6, when He was teaching on prayer: “But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly.”

When we pray, if we are not careful, there will be all kinds of distractions—thoughts racing through our minds, interruptions, and everything else in the world clamoring for attention. Someone once said that the devil trembles when the weakest Christian gets on his knees. This is especially true if the believer goes into the closet, the room to pray, and shuts the door. When you shut the door, you shut out distractions. You quiet those wandering thoughts. You concentrate. You see yourself humbly bowing before a holy God, knowing you are needy and dependent upon His help.

So, “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Oh, my friend, you hear the message preached on Sunday. You read the Bible. Your spirit is willing to do what God wants you to do. When you hear the message on Sunday and you are exhorted to lay aside the weights and the sins. You say, “By the grace of God, I am going to be the best Christian I can be this week.” But then Monday morning comes. Your spirit is willing—to get up and get on your knees and pray, to stand against the wiles of the devil, to resist the temptations that will surely come your way. But the flesh is weak, you roll over and wake up too late to spend time with the Lord in prayer! That is why you watch and pray. That is why you stay alert to the attacks of Satan and the distractions he throws at you.

I have said it many times—even here on this chat—that today we do not live in the day of weapons of mass destruction as much as we live in the day of weapons of mass distractions. We can so easily be distracted by social media, our phones, our iPads, our computers, the news, and everything happening in this internet-connected world. That is why we must watch and pray.

Then Paul says, “with all perseverance.” This is just as important. In Luke 11:5–13, when Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, He gave them the illustration of a man who had a friend come to him at midnight needing bread. Having none, he went to his neighbor and knocked on the door, saying, “Friend, lend me three loaves.” The neighbor replied, “Do not trouble me. The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.” But he kept knocking. He kept knocking until his friend got up and gave him some bread for his guest.

That is why Jesus went on to say in Luke 11:9-10, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” You believe your Father will answer, and you keep on knocking. That is perseverance. Prayer is not twisting God’s arm. It is getting God’s will done on earth. If God gives you a sleepless night, turn it into a prayer meeting. Peter was released from prison because the church prayed without ceasing (Acts 12:5).

Ask your heavenly Father to take care of the needs of those around you—your family, your friends, the people in your life. And keep asking! Most of us quit just before the answer comes. Today, let us make sure we are watching and praying with all perseverance.

God bless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.