Following Jesus' Call to Watchfulness

Hanging out at the beach isn’t always as relaxing as it sounds.

The lifeguard in me knows how quickly things can turn. It only takes a brief distraction—a parent turning their head, a conversation lingering a moment too long—for a little one to wander deeper into the water, chasing after a floatie or some other curiosity, until suddenly they’re where they can’t swim.

It happens every summer. On an ordinary sunny day filled with laughter, sunscreen, and juice boxes, there’s an unexpected moment when a small head begins to bob. I find myself leaping from my beach chair, racing to intervene.

Given this track record, I can’t help it. I stay on guard. 

The night Jesus walked with his disciples to the garden of Gethsemane, he’d warned them of their own impending betrayal, a threat they’d not yet truly acknowledged or paid heed to. Collectively resolute, they wholeheartedly declare to never leave him, no matter what. So, side by side, they enter the olive grove to pray, the Lord Jesus asking them to stay awake and keep watch.

Throughout Scripture, God’s people are called to that same kind of watchfulness—a spiritual alertness to what’s happening both within and around us.

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet. 5:8)

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2)

“Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come” (Mark 13:33)

“Then Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matt 24:4)

Richard Rogers defines watchfulness this way:

“Watchfulness is a careful observing of our hearts and diligent looking to our ways, that they may be pleasing and acceptable unto God.”[1]

Growth in the Christian life depends on practices of reflection and discernment—habits that help us stay alert to the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Prayer is one of the primary means of grace that helps us do this.

Brian Hedges explains the connection between watching and praying like this:

“To watch without praying is to overestimate our strength and to sin in self-reliance. To pray without watching is to disregard the Lord’s command in presumptuous pride. In the words of William Bridge, ‘Watching doth note our diligence, praying doth note our dependence.’” [2]

Being on alert is an active posture. It’s like being on the beach, eyes scanning the shallows, noting which parents belong to which kids, mapping where the dangers are.

Watching shows our diligence, while prayer reminds us of our desperate need for God’s wisdom and help.

But the struggle with weariness and distraction is real. Even the most attentive parents can lose sight of their children for a moment. In the same way, our prayer lives sometimes drift into neglect. We feel spent—poured out by the demands of family, marriage, ministry, and work. Some days, just surviving feels like all we can manage.

Jesus understands this exhaustion. He knew what it was like to feel overwhelmed by the crowds pressing in, everyone’s needs clamoring for His attention. He carried the weight of leading His disciples—teaching them, equipping them, and giving them opportunities to serve. There were times He sat worn out by a well, yet He continued to make the most of every opportunity.

And still, Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray. In prayer, He sought His Father’s will, found renewal, and gained clarity on His next steps—even changing His plans at times in obedience to the Father.

If Jesus Himself needed watchful, dependent prayer, how much more do we?!

So what are we to be watchful for in our prayers?

Be Alert to Your Inner Life

“Hey! How are you?”

It’s the most common greeting we share. Whether it’s a high school friend in the grocery store, a colleague you haven’t seen in a while, or someone from church on Sunday morning, those four words are often the first exchanged.

I usually smile and respond with something like, “We’re doing good!” (And most of the time, that’s still true.) But sometimes, when the other person lingers—keeping eye contact, waiting for a real answer—I catch myself and pause long enough to ask, “But how am I really doing?”

Do we regularly make space for that kind of reflection before God? Do we stop long enough to notice what’s stirring in our hearts?

Thomas Brooks describes watchfulness this way:

"Watchfulness includes a waking, a rousing up of the soul. It is a continual, careful observing of our hearts and ways, in all the turnings of our lives—that we still keep close to God and his Word." [3]

To be spiritually alert means paying attention to how our inner world is impacted by what’s going on around us, to examine what thoughts, feelings, and desires show up. Consider times when:

-Your child has been defiant toward you.

-Your husband has been staying late at work.

-You’ve lost a job opportunity.

-Your ministry isn’t producing the fruit you hoped for.

Or perhaps the season is full of blessings:

-You got the promotion you were praying for. 

-Your children are growing in the Lord.

-Your marriage is thriving.

-A sister in Christ shared how your words or service encouraged her.

In both hardship and joy, our circumstances press on us. They expose what we love, what we fear, and where we place our trust. But are we paying attention?

God’s words to His people in the book of Haggai were, “Consider your ways” (Hag. 1:5). He called them to examine their misplaced priorities and see how their self-focus had left them empty, unsatisfied and facing His judgment.

David’s prayer at the end of Psalm 139 gives words to how we can consider our our ways:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Ps. 139:23–24)

These are challenging words to pray. Yet, what a privilege to come before the Lord Almighty who will show us our blind spots, to repent and receive grace and mercy, and to persevere in steadfast faith.

Those are bold words to pray. Yet what a privilege it is to bring our whole selves before the Lord Almighty—the One who reveals our blind spots, provides us opportunity to repent and receive his grace and mercy, then strengthens us to persevere in steadfast faith.

Be Alert to Temptation

It’s not only our circumstances we must consider; we also need to stay watchful over the areas where we are most prone to temptation. Richard Rogers wisely reminds us that temptation comes in both hardship and ease:

“When in trouble, we must watch against tiredness and impatience. When in prosperity, we must watch against lust and vanity.”[4]

Paying attention to our patterns—our habits of sin—helps us stay on guard.

When life feels smooth, like a straight highway without curves or potholes, the danger seems less obvious. But perhaps that’s when pride slips in—we speed ahead carelessly, or get distracted by the company beside us. The risk grows precisely because we feel safe.

Other times the road looks more like a switchback mountain climb. Every step takes effort, and the mountaintop feels impossibly far away. Weariness tempts us to give up—to close our eyes, pull over, and stop following the path altogether.

Wherever we find ourselves—on the straightaway or the steep climb—Jesus’ words remain the same:

“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Matt. 26:41)“

Lead us not into temptation.” (Matt. 6:13)

The Lord has not left us to fight alone. He has sealed us with the Holy Spirit, who brings to mind the promises of Scripture (John 14:26), equips us to endure, and even prays for us when we can’t find the words:

“The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8:26)

We are never abandoned or left defenseless. Whether in seasons of joy or in seasons of trial, God’s love is steadfast and His presence is near. The Spirit convicts our hearts, strengthens us to resist temptation, and draws us back to Him.

But this kind of watchfulness requires intention. It means valuing time in the Word, practicing prayer, and pausing for honest check-ins with ourselves before God. Our minds are prone to wander, our attention easily pulled in a thousand directions.

So the question remains: will we heed Jesus’ call to watch and pray?

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[1] Richard Rogers, Holy Helps for a Godly Life (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2018), 48.

[2] Brian G. Hedges, Watchfulness: Recovering a Lost Spiritual Discipline (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2018), 86.

[3] Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1968), 74.

[4] Rogers, Holy Helps for a Godly Life, 61