Greetings, Band of Warriors for Christ! Welcome to Warrior Wednesday. I’m Joseph Watson, and tonight we’ll dive into a Bible study focused on watching, praying, and most importantly, not sleeping in our spiritual journey. Jesus’ return is near, and we cannot afford to be caught off guard. While rest is necessary, spiritually, we must remain vigilant. In fact, I’ve been preparing a study on the Sabbath—the day of rest that God has promised. We look forward to the kingdom, a beautiful city of rest, hope, and eternal life.
Jesus made it clear that we need to prepare for His return. Many people have embraced a Christian life, but Jesus emphasized that we must stay prepared because we don’t know the day or the hour of His return.
Let’s explore some scriptures that encourage us to remain watchful and ready. First, let’s turn to Matthew 24:42-44, where Jesus tells His disciples:
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
In this passage, Jesus teaches us to stay alert, like the owner of a house who would watch over his property if he knew a thief was coming. In the same way, we need to be spiritually prepared, ready for His return at any moment.
Good Servants vs. Evil Servants
Jesus also warns against being like the “evil servant” who, thinking his master’s return is delayed, lets his guard down and indulges in wrongdoing. This serves as a powerful reminder: being a servant of Christ isn’t enough; we need to be good servants, actively watching and praying.
The word watching here is more than just being passive. It means staying awake, spiritually alert, and diligent in our Christian walk. It’s easy to say we love Jesus, read our Bible, and pray, but watching means staying focused and forward-looking, never letting our guard down.
Staying Prepared
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul tells us to:
“Pray without ceasing.”
This means we should always be in a mindset of prayer, constantly connecting with God. The chapter continues with instructions to give thanks, hold fast to what is good, and abstain from every appearance of evil.
Being a good servant means constantly evaluating our actions and striving to keep our lives aligned with God’s will. Abstaining from evil isn’t just about avoiding sin, but avoiding even the appearance of sin. We’re called to live in a way that is blameless before God, body, soul, and spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Wake Up, Stay Vigilant
In Romans 13:11, we are reminded:
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”
We must wake up spiritually. The time of Jesus’ return is closer now than ever before. Even if He doesn’t come in our lifetime, each day we grow closer to meeting Him. Our salvation is nearer, and we should be growing stronger in our walk with God.
It’s not enough to live in a fog of spiritual sleep, drifting along. We need to put on the “armor of light” and cast off the works of darkness. This means actively pursuing holiness and rejecting anything that could lead us away from God.
The Importance of Being Sober
1 Thessalonians 5:6 urges us to:
“Let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”
Being sober means staying clear-minded, avoiding the distractions and temptations that can cloud our judgment. When we allow ourselves to be distracted by the world, we become spiritually dull. Staying sober means maintaining focus on what really matters, our relationship with God.
Eagerly Awaiting His Return
2 Peter 3:9 reminds us:
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Jesus is giving us time to repent, but that time is running out. The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. We must be diligent, living holy lives without spot or blame. Our goal is to be found in peace, blameless when He returns.
The Reward of Diligence
Hebrews 11:6 tells us:
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
God rewards those who seek Him diligently. It’s not about perfection but about a heart that continually seeks to be close to Him. Are we putting in the effort to watch, pray, and stay awake spiritually?
Watch and Pray
In Mark 13:32-37, Jesus emphasizes the urgency of watching and praying, for no one knows the day or the hour of His return. Just as the master of a house expects his servants to stay alert while he’s away, Jesus expects us to be ready for His return. We don’t want to be found spiritually asleep when He comes back.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Finally, Matthew 25:1-13 presents the parable of the ten virgins. Five were wise and had oil in their lamps, while the other five were foolish and unprepared. When the bridegroom came, only the wise virgins were ready to meet him. The foolish ones were left behind.
This parable illustrates the importance of being prepared. We cannot rely on the faith of others to carry us through. Each of us must have our own oil, our own relationship with God—ready and burning brightly.
Let us not be caught unprepared. Jesus is coming soon, and we must watch, pray, and stay spiritually awake. There’s no room for spiritual sleep when the stakes are this high. Let us live each day with the urgency of His return in mind, eagerly awaiting the day we will be with Him. God bless you. Watch and pray!
Joseph Watson, an elder in the Warriors for Christ, was baptized in 1981 while serving in the U.S. Navy. As a former Associate Pastor for Christian Fellowship International Military Ministry, he has dedicated his life to teaching, evangelizing, and strengthening the faith of others.
