Prophetic Voices: The Midnight & Morning Watch

A number of prophets have been speaking about the importance of the “watch” of the Lord, particularly the night watch and the morning watch. The idea of “watching” is a lost art in modern Christianity. It was an ancient discipline of the church, closely connected with intercessory prayer in the scriptures (e.g. Isaiah 62:6, Mark 14:38, Luke 21:36, Col. 4:2—look these verses up!). The call today is to make sure we are praying in these watches.
When I first heard prophets talk about the importance of the night watches, especially the morning watch (which biblically is 3-6 AM), I knew it was of the Lord. I didn’t know exactly why, but something in my spirit bore witness with it. I will have to say, something from experience told me it was a spiritually important time as well.

Several years ago my wife or I were regularly awakened between 3 and 4 AM in terror. We had awful dreams and could feel evil in the room when we awoke. After we woke up together once, we prayed and rebuked whatever it was that was tormenting us. It finally stopped. But several months later, I was in a meeting where a prophet called out a couple sitting nearby me. He told them by the Spirit that they had been regularly waking up between 3 and 4 AM in terror! Weeping, they confirmed that was indeed the case. The prophet said, “You’re pastors, right?” They said they were indeed youth pastors. The prophet then proceeded to tell them by the Spirit that the reason they were waking up in terror was because there was a witch in their neighborhood targeting them with her spells and incantations. He then proceeded to rebuke that witchcraft and break its power over the couple.

That prophecy was as much for me as it was for them! I realized, while much of the church is sleeping, the forces of darkness are not!

Since then, as I have been digging in the word about this, I am seeing how important the night watches are in the scriptures. I’ve been walking with the Lord for 30 years, but I never have understood these things until now. I am seeing that time is long past due to reorder our days.
In the original tabernacle of Moses, Aaron and the priests were given very specific instructions.

Exodus 27:21 – “In the Tent of Meeting, outside the curtain that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.” NIV

Adam Clarke, the great 19th century commentator equates this continual burning to the New Testament believer’s Holy Spirit fire and pure devotion. I would add to that the idea of intercessory prayer. Especially in the very late night (or very early morning, if you prefer), there is much demonic activity. Suicides reach their peak at those hours. Former crackheads confessed to me that a whole new world of illicit activity peaked in those hours. On top of that, it hit me that Muslims get up before sunrise and pray … by the hundreds in our communities! I’ll never forget leaving 24FLOOD in Dearborn one morning at 6 AM after I was replaced at my prayer shift. I drove by a little mosque just a few blocks down the road. The parking lot was full, and for four blocks on either side of the road, cars were parked … on a Saturday morning at 6 AM! Yet only one pastor came and replaced me.

Jesus set the model for us Christians.

Mark 1:35 – “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” NIV

Study the “fourth watch” or “morning watch” and you will be amazed. It is in that period (3—6 AM) that Jesus met the disciples who were toiling in the midst of a storm in the middle of the lake (Matt. 14:25). In the fourth watch, Jesus comes to meet us in the storms of our lives! It was in the morning watch when God looked from the pillar of fire and overthrew the Egyptian army that was pursuing the Israelites (Exodus 14:24). It is in the morning watch that God will overthrow the enemy of our souls and reverse the attacks that are against us.

I believe many of us don’t even have to do anything about this. The Holy Spirit is already waking us up in the morning watch. We just need to get out of bed and pray as he leads us, and finish when he releases us. Others of us may want to begin a discipline of night or morning watch prayer, perhaps making a regular commitment to a house of prayer. When you do, listen for his direction in prayer. Pray in the Spirit. Pray the Psalms and other scriptures. Pray for your family. and the lost. Cancel assignments of the enemy.

If there ever was a day for this, it is now! The needs are tremendous, and it is time for the church to arise in renewed victory!

Government Bailouts and Prophecy

Bible prophecy is on the march. Many are debating the political significance of recent “bailouts” in America as government buys up massive economic entities. Some are bemoaning the impact this may have on the free market system. But these events are not just economic issues, this is an issue of global prophetic significance.

The Bible speaks of a day when there will be a one-world government with a centralized economy. We thought those days of centralized economies were over with the fall of Communism, but recent events have proved otherwise as governments across the world have joined together in unprecedented coordination to buy up massive sectors of their economies. Speaking of the future “CFO” of this one-world government, Revelation 13:16 says, “He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark...” (italics mine). This clearly predicts an economy that is so centralized it can be controlled by one individual. This individual will be aligned with a figure the Bible calls “Antichrist,” a savior figure who will require that faith in anyone or anything other than him be renounced. These recent “bailouts” have taken us another step closer to that future reality.

What should our response be? Should we be terrified? The Apostle Peter told us what to do. He said “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray” (1 Peter 4:7, italics mine). We need to pray so that we will be ready for Christ’s return. We also need to pray for our friends, loved ones, and communities: that they will wake up and understand that God is real and that they need a Savior!