I learned about prayer watches from Chuck Pierce’s book, Reordering Your Day: Understanding and Embracing the Four Prayer Watches,[1] and found it to be a blessing in my prayer life—although, admittedly, I haven’t practiced the watches for some time now. However, in the season we did, and the church joined in with weekly prayer meetings, they were powerful times. As I recall, the midnight to 3 am prayer meeting was exceptional and one of the best attended.
Pierce writes,
“In the Bible, we find a pattern. Watchmen on the wall are watching for the enemy and announcing what they see. Let me remind you of the four watches:
The first, or ‘evening watch,’ from sunset (6 PM) to 9 PM
The second watch, known as the ‘midnight watch,’ from 9 PM to midnight
The third watch, referred to as ‘the cockcrowing watch,’ from midnight to 3 AM
The fourth, or ‘morning watch,’ from 3 AM to 6 AM”[2]
The rest of the book articulates the watches and offers several prayer outlines and Scriptures for each. All of which can be an excellent jolt to an individual or church prayer life.
Here is one of mine that I shared on RJP in April 2018.
A prayer for the third watch—that of spiritual battles. The third watch takes place from 12:00-3:00 am.
Psalms 35:1 NASB: “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.”
My Father, contend with those forces that are fighting against your people.
Contend:
• Against those wanting to destroy marriages
• Against the desire to find solace in worldly ways
• Against feelings of hopelessness and despair
• With the battle over our children right now
• With spirits that bring division into homes
• With the forces that empower unsaved spouses to speak evil of You; bring them to their knees in need of You
• In family’s financial battles and grant wisdom in taking ground today.Psalms 35:2 NASB: “Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help.”
Father, let your people use that buckler to battle in close contact with the enemy. When he speaks those lies to them, contend with him, and let your people stop the falsehoods.
Father, bring the shield up and cover your people with grace and faith to look to You in this heavy battle.
Be our help today; let today be different from any other this week, my Father.
Psalms 35:3 NASB: “Draw also the spear and the battle-ax to meet those who pursue me; say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.'”
Draw the spear and thrust those spirits who are away, laying in wait to charge; those spirits that we are so unaware of.
Take the battle ax and swing hard at the personal demons up close who speak lies about self-worth and potential, who bring deflation and dejection to your people’s spirits.
Father, renew in those the hope of salvation; let them see You as their salvation today.
I ask all of this in Jesus’ name.
So, maybe we should consider a season of online prayer times with the watches. What do you think?
[1] Dr. Chuck D. Pierce, Reordering Your Day: Understanding and Embracing the Four Prayer Watches (Denton, Texas: Glory of Zion International Ministries, 2006), www.glory-of-zion.org.
[2] IBID, page 37