BackgroundThe Calling of the Watchman "On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen: All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth"(6-7).
In the ancient world watchmen were stationed on city walls and on towers that faced each direction. They were placed there to watch for approaching enemies. Throughout the history of Jerusalem, watchmen had a twofold ministry on the wall. The first was to watch for the enemy, providing protection for those asleep or at work. Second, the watchmen were to repair the wall after an attack. At times, they would carry out both ministries on the same watch. Because of the extremely important task, watchmen were carefully appointed and commissioned. Once they had accepted the position as watchmen, failure to carry out their duties responsibly could result in their own deaths as well as the death of God's work in the city.
The Duties of the Watchman
Watchmen took there places on the walls to "remind the Lord" (Isa. 62:6). The implication is that they were to give neither themselves nor the Lord any rest until He established His presence and power in their midst. Their primary prayer was "Make us a city of praise on the earth." Additionally, the watchman had two specific responsibilities:
1. Watchmen reminded God of His people. God waits for us to tell Him all that is happening in our lives, homes, churches, and the world. He listens intently as we remind Him of His promises. Then rejoice in our faith in Him, for we have shown desire to share our time and fellowship, which can only deepen and strengthen our bond of love.
2. Watchman reminded God's people of His promises. The presence of the watchmen stationed around the walls constantly reminded all in the city that they belonged to God.
The Diligence of the Watchman
The Bible indicates that the watchmen were present "all day and all night" (62:6). There was never a time the walls were not secure and the people silent. Watchmen made continuous intercession on behalf of all the people. The watchmen were also committed to thepersonal preparation of their own lives while standing watch, and they corporately prayed for revival and the establishment of Jerusalem. Constant intercession in our midst will encourage those who are going through difficult times, because they know the watchmen are being faithful to make prayerful petitions on behalf of the people.
Description
Through the leadership of the Holy Spirit and a call to this ministry of prayer, an individual will be assigned a minimum of one hour a week on the wall in one direction: north south, east, or west. [* If only one wall is used, directions will not be necessary.] Each wall consists of 168 prayer warriors, one for each hour of the day, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day.
After you have prayerfully committed to the ministry, you will be asked to select the hour/s appropriate for you.
Once the hours/s have been selected, the watchman will "set the watch" for the hour as instructed on the "Prayer Calendar", supplied by the intercessors. The calendar will inform Watchmen of the needs in the church's fellowship and ministries that require special attention. We will be praying for our community, state, country and the world. Everyday a special prayer petition is given to be added to your prayer time.
Following the assigned hour on the wall, the watchman will call the next hour's watchman on duty. The watch may take place wherever the intercessor is, as long as one uninterrupted hour to watch and be with the Lord is available. A list of intercessors and their telephone numbers will be made available through the ministry so the intercessor can phone the person scheduled for the next watch and report: "I have completed my watch and commend you to the Lord while you watch and pray."
[When there are breaches, on the wall or when the 168 hours have not been completely assigned, it will not be necessary to telephone the next watchman. Every intercessor will be held accountable for their committed hour. These instructions are based on a full wall.]
This approach is so simple that reserve intercessors are not needed in case of absences. For instance, if the watchman is out of town, he or she is still accountable for the same hour on the wall and, if possible, for calling the next watchman. Watchmen will continue serving their assigned hours until they notify the leaders that they wish to be relieved of the responsibility. If an intercessor fails to take the assigned watch, the leaders will call and offer assistance. If the watchman fails to keep his assigned hour of watch for two consecutive weeks, the leaders will enlist a replacement.
To secure a position on the wall, a watchman must be of a mature and responsible age. Parents are encouraged to allow children to participate in their assigned hours on the wall. This will be good training and spiritual preparation for the child, who will understand the principal of intercessory prayer through practice.
The Promise-The Lord makes a twofold commitment to those who answer the call.
His Protection-"I will never again give your grain as food for your enemies; Nor will foreigners drink your new wine, for which you have labored" (62:8). These demonstrate a unique balance between human's intercession and God's sovereignty. During the years when Israel had remained silent before the Lord, the enemy had consumed everything for which the Israelites had worked. Their silence was evidence that they had a self-sufficient attitude, have forgotten the Lord's power and provision. Once they accepted their appointment to the wall, God committed to protect them from their enemies. It is obvious today that our congregations' families and singles need this kind of protection. Without God's protection we have a problem: the enemy is allowed to consume us at the point of our need, and we get weaker while the enemy get stronger.
-Once the people respond to God and meet His conditions, not only will the protection from the enemy be present, but also the provision will be bountiful and the needs met. The Lord has promised His harvest to those who obey His call. Your Praise-"Those who harvest it will eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather the grapes will drink it in the courts of my sanctuary"(62:9). A natural response of God's people when His provision and protection are realized in their midst is an expression of praise. Much of our work on the walls will be filled with praise as we thank the Father for His protection and provision in our midst. God has made a commitment to us in the form of an oath and He continues to wait for us to answer the call to the wall and to take our places in the ministry of intercession.
Your Preparation - Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations. "See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him" (62:10-11).
As John the Baptist cried in the wilderness and proclaimed, " ' Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)), we too must proclaim and make straight the path for the Lord's return. We must clear away the debris of sin and laziness that would cause others to stumble on their way to meet Jesus.
We must prepare the way by lifting high the banner of our King for all to see. We must act! In doing so, we have the assurance that the world will recognize God's people. Our prayer on the walls will usher in a spiritual awakening in our churches that will arouse our communities and eventually the world. We stand at a crossroads with the privilege of preparing the way for the Lord and then being proclaimed as His people.
Your Position - "They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and you will be called Sought After the City No Longer Deserted" (62:12). Notice that the Scripture says, "They will be called.... " This means that the world will take notice, because God's people have answered the call to the wall and set their watch with God; who can avoid protection and provision for His people. You will be called "the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord..., Sought After, the City No longer Deserted."
Instructions:
After committing yourself to a specific time on the wall, you will be ready to prepare for your ministry in prayer. Follow these simple preparatory steps:
1. Take your position a few minutes before your assigned watch. This will give you time to organize all the prayer requests and Bible readings. The watchman before you should telephone and commend you to the Lord for your watch. However, if you do not receive a call begin your watch on the assigned hour.
2. As you begin, us this checklist to make sure your are ready to pray.
• Have I confessed all sin? (Isa. 59:1-2; 1 John 1:10)
• Have I forgiven those who may have hurt me? (Matt. 6:14-15)
• Am I prepared to seek God's will in all things (1 John 5:14-15)
• Am I willing to allow God to receive all glory? (John 14:13-14)
• Am I depending on the Holy Spirit's leadership for this watch? (Rom. 8:26-27)
• Am I trusting in God in spite of the circumstances? (Prov. 3:5-6)
• Am I willing to praise the Lord in all things? (Rom. 8:28; 1 Thess. 5:16-18)3. Follow the instructions on the monthly calendar.
4. Remember that you are charged with the watch for the entire hour.
5. Your last prayer before ending your hour should be for all the watchmen and the watchman who is following you on the wall.
6. As you finish, telephone the next watchman and remind him/her of the watch.
7. Take a moment to record any thoughts, answered prayers, or claimed promises.
8. If you have any question or need to make changes in your assigned hour, call the Coordinator, located on the "Quick Reference" page, in the back of your journal.
9. Remember that Satan will do all he can to keep you from your watch (Eph 6:10).
Added Duties and Instructions:
1. Watchmen "are on call" for emergencies, to pray. Your telephone number will be given to the prayer leaders, who will telephone you with urgent prayer requests. If you have an emergency, call one of the leaders or coordinators and ask to have the watchmen pray for your request.
2. Select, at least one day a week to "fast".
3. Choose a "prayer partner", preferably someone not living in the same household.
The Watchman Intercessory Ministry of Prayer is committed to work with and pray for all ministries or individual believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, who believe they are called to position this spiritual wall within their church and/or community.
Acclimatizing this plan is simple:
1. For small prayer groups or ministries, invite other prayer ministries and/or churches to join. The participating ministries/churches is assigned a specific day. Seven ministries/churches could then cooperate to pray for the entire community.
2. This ministry could cross denominational lines, linking a city's churches in intercessory prayer for revival and spiritual awakening. In this plan, depending on the number of churches that will take part, allows the assignment of one hour a week per church.
3. Students have been catalysts for many great revivals in the history of Christianity, this ministry can unite large numbers of students in the common goal of praying for revival and spiritual awakening. Involve the high school students of your church and community. Encourage them to build their own prayer wall for their schools. College/university campus coordinators can begin the ministry on a college level.
Contact The Watchman Ministry, by email, for further instruction and information,if you are seriously considering erecting a "prayer wall".
Now is the time for all believers to unite in prayer; glorifying our Father in praise and worship and looking to Him to meet the needs of our lives, families, churches, communities, states, and countries. We are not suppose to stand alone or operate dividedly, we were perfectly made to operate as one body, "IN UNITY".
Robert and Mary France
Watchman On The Wall Ministries, U.S.A.
Email Robert and Mary France