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WATCH, PRAY AND WAIT 

1 KINGS 17:8-16 

HEBREWS 9:24-28 

MARK 12:38-44 

The theme for our reflection is watch, pray and wait. To watch means to be vigilant or to be on guard, to pray is communication between believers and God; and to wait means to be expectant or to anticipate a particular event.  The theme can thus be rephrased as to remain vigilant and prayerful even as we anticipate a future event. What then is the future event? The future event is the advent of the Messiah Jesus. We shall proceed to discuss the theme through the following points:

1. A believer must be watchful, prayerful and wait in faith.  
2. As we watch, pray and wait we must act justly toward one another.
3. The ultimate reason for which we must watch, pray and wait is to prepare for the judgement day.  

Firstly, faith is the driving force that enables us to be watchful, prayerful and to wait. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”  Again Hebrews 11:6 also says that “And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” No one is watchful, prayerful and waits in vain, faith must be the foundation on which we become watchful, prayerful and wait for the visitation or coming of the Lord in whatever situation we find ourselves. In times of severe famine and poverty, it is hard for anyone to receive visitors and share the last meal in the house with them. The widow of Zarephath demonstrated faith by being watchful in being hospitable to Elijah. Finally, her prayer of survival would be answered through the Prophet Elijah. It is only the act of faith that will make it possible for us to go the extra mile to wait. The widow and her son had to wait for Elijah to be fed first out of the little that was left in the house and lo and behold “… there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the LORD spoken by Elijah.” (1 Kings 17:15-16). In the same manner, the poor woman in Mark 12:41-44 did an act of faith when she gave out of her poverty, Jesus commended her that “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44) 

My dear friend, our faith is tested in times of misery, difficulty or challenges. We need faith in order to watch, pray and wait in times of peril or challenges. Both the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:8-16 and the poor woman in Mark 12:41-44 had their faith tested in times of famine, hunger and poverty. What challenging situation are you going through now? Have you pleased God with your faith by watching, praying and waiting upon the Lord to intervene in your peculiar situation? Or you have taken matters into your own hands and acted out of faithlessness? 

Secondly, those who are in privileged positions and positions of power cannot purport to be watchful, praying and waiting upon the Lord when we continue to act unjustly towards the vulnerable in society. It is for this reason that Jesus said in Mark 12:38-40 that “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” In other words, being watchful, prayerful and waiting upon the Lord as believers must lead us to do what is just towards others.  Micah 6:8 reminds us that “O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.  Being watchful, prayerful and waiting upon the Lord does not mean we should live a hypocritical life or live a double standard life. Unlike the teachers of the law, we must watch and pray against the life of pretence even as we wait upon the Lord. Galatians 6: 7-8 admonishes us that “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” 

Thirdly, whatever we do on earth the ultimate reason for which everyone must watch, pray and wait is to prepare for the day of judgement which marks the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9:26-28 makes it clear that  “…But he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” In other words, those who live by faith in Jesus, love and act just toward everyone including the less privileged will be classified as being watchful, prayerful and waiting for the salvation of the Lord. Are you part of this group or you are part of the group that does not watch, pray and wait? Paul described them in 1 Corinthians 6:8-10 when he said that “Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:8-10) 

In conclusion beloved in the Lord, faith is necessary if a believer will succeed in being watchful, prayerful and waiting upon the Lord; We must avoid hypocritical and double standardness as we watch, pray and wait by loving and doing what is just toward people including the less privileged in our communities. Last but not the least, the ultimate reason for which we must watch, pray and wait is to prepare for the second coming and judgment of Lord and Master Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit continually empower us through faith to be watchful, prayerful even as we wait upon the Lord in our daily lives.  

Jean-Paul Agidi