5 Steps to Establishing a One Hour Watch
Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?” Matthew 26:40 (NLT)
1. PRIORITY – Recognize that your time with God is the most important time of your day.
- Acts 6:4 Apostles – Devoted to PRAYER and the WORD
- Psalm 5:3 David – “In the MORNING O Lord, thou wilt hear my voice.”
- Mark 1:32-38 JESUS our example “in the early morning, while it was still dark”
2. PERIOD of TIME – Set a specific time for your “hour of prayer.”
- Matt. 28:40 Could you not WATCH with Me ONE HOUR?
- Psalm 119:164 David – SEVEN TIMES a day do I praise thee.
- Psalm 55:17 – EVENING, MORNING and at NOON
- Psalm 119:97 – Meditate ALL DAY LONG
- Psalm 119:147-148 – BEFORE DAWN, though the NIGHT WATCHES
- Daniel 6:10 Daniel – THREE TIMES a day (prayer)
3. PLACE – Choose a place free from interruptions and distractions.
- Matthew 6:6 “Prayer closet” GET ALONE!
- Mark 1:35 Jesus found a SOLITARY PLACE (Luke 5:16; 9:18)
4. PERSISTENCE – Fight all delays and interruptions fiercely!
- Luke 18:1 Men ought always to PRAY and faint not.
- 1 Timothy 6:12 FIGHT the good FIGHT of faith.
- Psalm 5:3 IN THE MORNING
- Ephesians 4:27 Neither GIVE PLACE to the Devil.
5. PLAN of ACTION – Develop a practical Prayer & Bible Study plan.
Select a PRAYER FORMAT that helps you stay focused. 1) The LORD’S PRAYER – TOPICAL OUTLINE – Matthew 6:9-13 2) JOHN 17 – Praying for those God has Given You 3) Acronym: A-C-T-S – Adoration, Confess, Thanksgiving, Supplication – Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) 4) Acronym: P-R-A-Y – Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield 5) Use a WRITTEN PRAYER LIST 6) Write and Use CRAFTED PRAYER 7) Use of WRITTEN/MEMORIZED Prayer e.g. from Prayer Books etc. 8) LITURGY OF THE HOURS – http://annarborvineyard.org/tdh/tdh.cfm Consists of hymns, psalms, prayers, scripture readings, prayers. “Evening, morning and at noon I will pray and cry aloud” (Psalm 55:17) “Seven times a day I praise you.” (Psalm 119:164) Apostles, as with Jewish custom prayed: (Acts 3:1, 10:9-49) – Third (9 AM), Sixth (noon), Ninth (3 Am), Hours & Midnight 9) Use LECTIO DIVINA – Scripture Reading: Read, Listen, Meditate, Pray & Contemplate Choose a passage of scripture, read slowly, look for what catches your attention, meditate upon that, repeat this process with the scripture several times, now speak to God about it and conclude by focusing upon God’s presence. Select a BIBLE READING PLAN that provides daily direction. Adopt the Rule: “No Bible, No Breakfast” Learn to Study the Bible Effectively 1) Commit yourself to a BIBLE READING PLAN. YouVersion – App & Website https://www.bible.com/ 2) Use a VARIETY of METHODS in studying the Bible Read it ENTIRELY a) Read it by TOPICAL STUDIES b) Read it by BOOKS over time or in ONE SITTING c) Read it by NEED d) Read it by CHAPTER e) Read PSALMS or PROVERBS regularly 3) Keep a JOURNAL (Prayer & Bible Reading) 4) TAKE NOTES of the significant things God is saying to you. a) Write in your BIBLE – underline and margin notes. b) Start a NOTEBOOK or JOURNAL 5) Use Bible STUDY HELPSAs on Online resource, this Website is the best out there – http://biblehub.com