Many Bible passages connect watchfulness and prayer. While preaching sounds the trumpet of alarm in the ears of men, prayer sounds the alarm in the ears of God. As a watchman, each believer has a responsibility to his brother or sister in Christ. While some believers are spiritually sleeping, unaware of their present danger, other believers ought to be standing upon the tower of watchfulness and calling upon the Lord. This was the point of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:18 when he said, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
If ever there was a man in the early church that qualified as a watchman, it would have been the apostle Paul. Paul includes “in watchings often” in his testimony about the trials he endured. He also mentioned that these watchings approved him as a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). We know from the biblical accounts that when many believers were unaware of danger, the apostle Paul stood upon the tower and sounded the trumpet of alarm. While others were spiritually sleeping, the apostle Paul was sober and alert to the needs of the church. No doubt Paul endured sleepless nights, fasted, and went without even the necessities of life because he was watching for the church.
Carnal Christians and those who do not know the Lord consider judging others as the greatest of sins. The opposite actually holds true. Believers fail when they refuse to judge “righteous judgment.” So often, men judge people and situations simply by what is seen or through an emotional response. Yet, this is completely contrary to the scriptural admonition to judge. Instead, we are to “judge righteous judgment.” How can this be consistently done? First and foremost, we need a righteous standard by which to compare all things. In John 12:48, we learn of that righteous standard when the Lord Jesus said that His words would judge men. The Bible is a perfect Book containing perfect laws and offers a perfect standard for making judgments. Therefore, all judgment should be based upon the infallible standards provided by God within His glorious word. We will never go wrong with judging according to God’s perfect standard.
