Genesis 21 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 21.

Meditate on verses 1-2.

Then the LORD took note of Sarah as He had said,

and the LORD did for Sarah as He had promised.

So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age,

at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.

God first promised Abraham descendants when he was 75 years old (Genesis 12:1-4). Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands to get the promised heir when Abraham was 86 years old (Genesis 16:16). The result was the birth of Ishmael.

When Abraham was 99 years old, God told him that Ishmael was not the child of the covenant promises. God promised to establish His covenant with the son yet to be conceived named Isaac (Genesis 17:21). Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was finally born (Genesis 21:5).

God fulfilled His promise to Abraham at the appointed time. The appointed time was 25 years after the promise was first stated.

It can be long and difficult waiting on God. Remember His timing is perfect. Do not rush God’s plans; wait for His promises. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He will keep His Word.

Pray Genesis 21:1-2 over someone for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please take note of __________.

Do for them all You have promised at Your appointed time.


In Your name, Jesus.”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 20 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 20.

Meditate on verse 6.

Then God said to him in the dream,

“Yes, I know that in the integrity of your heart you have done this,

and I also kept you from sinning against Me;

therefore I did not let you touch her.”

Here is a prayer warrior’s treasure verse! It is tucked in the middle of Abraham’s story of trying to save himself at the cost of sacrificing his wife to King Abimelech. God’s faithfulness to Abraham was unending, and He rescued Sarah from the king’s harem.

Abimelech tried to justify himself before God by saying he had innocent hands and a heart of integrity. God quickly reminded the king He knew exactly what was in his heart, and He (God) had kept Abimelech from touching Sarah.

Do not be deceived! When the world tells you to “follow your heart,” it is not advice from God. God says this about your heart in Jeremiah 17:9-10a: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I the LORD, search the heart; I test the mind ...”

God has the cure for your heart issues. In Christ, God promises this: “I will give them a heart to know Me, for I am the LORD, and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7).

Pray Genesis 20:6 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, You know ________ and my heart.

Please keep us from sinning against You.

Do not let us touch what we should not.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 19 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 19.

Meditate on this phrase from verse 29.

God remembered Abraham

and sent Lot out of the midst of the overflow.

Here are some facts about Lot:

            *He selfishly chose the best of the land God gave to Abraham

(Genesis 13:10-11).

             *He moved his tents to Sodom where the men were exceedingly wicked and

            sinners against the LORD (Genesis 13:12-13).

            *Abraham went to war against five kings in order to save him

 (Genesis 14:14-16).

*Abraham begged God not to destroy wicked Sodom where Lot lived

(Genesis 18:23-33).

*Lot was willing to sacrifice his two virgin daughters to evil men to protect his two male guests (Genesis 19:4-8).

*His future sons-in-law did not respect him and thought he was a joke (Genesis 19:14).

*He hesitated when the LORD provided a way of escape (Genesis 19:16).

*He was afraid and argued with God about His place of provision for his family (Genesis 19:19-20).

*God showed Lot compassion and magnified His lovingkindness towards him (Genesis 19:16, 19).


Why? Why didn’t God destroy Lot with the wicked people in Sodom? From his list of accomplishments, he certainly did not deserve to be saved. He was a mess!

God remembered Abraham. God had a covenant relationship with Abraham and because Lot had a relationship with Abraham, God saved Lot.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His
great love

 with which He loved us,
even when we were dead in our transgressions,


made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him

 in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come

He might show
the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness

 toward us in Christ Jesus.
For by grace you have been saved ...

 —Ephesians 2:4-8

If you are a Christian, Lot’s story is your story. You received lovingkindness magnified because you have a relationship with Jesus, and God always remembers Jesus and what He did for you on the cross. You are not destroyed because when God looks at you, He sees His Son. Throughout this Christmas season, thank God for saving you from the midst of your overflow of sin.

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Genesis 19:16, 19, and 29 over those who are hesitating in their decision to follow Christ.

“LORD, ___________ is hesitant.
Please let your compassion be upon them.

Seize them; bring them out of their sinful place.

 Let them find favor in Your sight.

 Magnify Your lovingkindness toward them.

 Please save their life!


God, remember them
and send them

 out of the midst of the overflow of the consequences of their sin.


For Your name’s sake, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 18 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 18.

Meditate on verse 3.

My LORD, if now I have found favor in your sight,

please do not pass your servant by.

Genesis 18 begins with these words,

 “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre ... “

Here is another situation where God showed Himself to people. The LORD appeared; Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw three men (Genesis 18:1-2). As soon as Abraham saw them, he knew he did not want these gentlemen to leave him! These were special guests, and Abraham wanted to fellowship with them; he wanted them to stay at his house, eat a meal with him, and talk to him.

How do you respond when the LORD intersects your life? Do you recognize Him throughout the day? Do you invite Him to share your meals with you? Jesus Himself said, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

It is incredible the Savior wants that kind of intimacy with you. Enjoy spending time with Him this Christmas.

Pray Genesis 18:3 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“My LORD, let _________ and me find favor in Your sight.

Please do not pass us by!


In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 17 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 17.

Meditate on verses 5 and 15.

“No longer shall your name be called Abram,

but your name shall be Abraham;

for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.”

Then God said to Abraham,

“As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai,

 but Sarah shall be her name.”

God continued establishing the covenant He made with Abram. God passed between the pieces of the sacrificed animals in Genesis 15 stating His promises to Abram. God introduced the name change aspect of covenant in Genesis 17. God’s covenant relationship with Abram and Sarai changed their identity; so much so, God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah to signify they were in a relationship with Him.

God does the same thing to you when you enter into a covenant relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Before Jesus, you were called child of wrath and son of disobedience (Ephesian 2:3; 5:6). Your father was the devil (John 8:44). After Christ became your life, you were called child of God and Christian (Colossians 3:4; 1 John 3:1-2; Acts 11:26).

God made everlasting promises to Abraham (Genesis 17:7-8, 13, 19). When He changed your name to child of God, it came with His promise to be your forever Father. What an amazing name change you received!

Pray Genesis 17:7 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7) who need to be in an everlasting covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

“LORD, establish Your covenant with _________. Be their God!

 Be God to their descendants after them.

Through Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 16 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 16.

Meditate on verse 13.

Then she called the name of the LORD, who spoke to her,

“You are a God who sees”;

for she said,

“Have I even remained alive after seeing Him?”

God reveals Himself by many names throughout the Bible.  A few of them are:

            God Most High – Genesis 14:18-20

            The LORD Will Provide – Genesis 22:14

            The LORD Who Heals – Exodus 15:26

            The LORD Is Peace – Judges 6:24

            The LORD Our Righteousness – Jeremiah 23:6

Almighty God allowed an Egyptian slave girl named Hagar to give Him one of His names, The God Who Sees. She was a despised and mistreated maid. Her jealous mistress, Sarai, treated Hagar harshly because she was pregnant by Sarai’s husband, Abram. The whole affair happened because of a plan hatched by Sarai to hasten God’s covenant plans. Oh, the messes we create when we think we know better than God! “LORD, forgive us!”

So, Hagar, who was with child, fled from her abusive mistress to the wilderness where God met her. Carefully reread Genesis 16:7-13. The angel of the LORD found Hagar. After He spoke to her, Hagar said, “The LORD spoke to me. You, God, see me! Have I even remained alive here after seeing Him?” (v. 13).

The “angel of the LORD” was God in physical form. Ponder this as one of your Jesus sightings in Genesis.

Ponder also the fact that God sees you. No matter your life situation, God sees you, hears you, and desires to speak to you. Call on the name of the LORD; call Him by the name You need to know Him as: God Who Heals, God Who Provides, etc.

Pray Genesis 16:11b and 13 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please pay attention to ________ and my affliction!

You are the God Who Sees!


Thank You for seeing us.


In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 15 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 15.

Meditate on verses 17-18a.

It came about when the sun had set,

that it was very dark,

and behold, there appeared a smoking oven

and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 

On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram …

God reiterated His promises to Abram of land and descendants. God sealed the deal in Genesis 15 by making a covenant with Abram. When covenants were made in the Old Testament, they were literally cut. An animal was killed, cut in half, and the two people making covenant promises to each other would walk between the pieces of the sacrificed animal stating that if either person broke their covenant vows may what happened to the dead animal or worse happen to them.

Amazingly, God entered into a covenant relationship with Abram, but He did not require Abram to pass between the pieces of the sacrificed animals. Instead God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Abram, and while he slept, God appeared as a smoking oven and a flaming torch and passed between the pieces, cutting covenant with Abram.

Only God passed through the pieces (not Abram). By doing this God declared to Abram, “If I break this covenant, may what happened to the animal, or worse, happen to Me. And Abram, if you break the covenant, may what happened to the animal, or worse, happen to Me.”

And it did—on the cross.

Pray Genesis 15:1 and 17-18a over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

Word of the LORD, You have come to _________ and me.


Thank You that we do not have to fear.

You are our shield, our very great reward.

 Jesus, You not only passed between
the pieces of the animal for us;


You were the sacrificed animal.

 Thank You for making a covenant with us.

In Your name and blood, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 14 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 14.

Meditate on verse 18.

And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine;

 now he was a priest of God Most High.

On the first day of the week, the day Christ arose from the dead, He met two men who were walking to Emmaus. Jesus started walking with them, asked them a few questions, then “beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). (All the Scriptures means all of the Old Testament.) Genesis 14 was probably one of the passages Jesus explained to the two men because the writer of Hebrews recorded it in reference to Jesus Christ in Hebrews 7.

Abram won a battle against four kings who had taken his nephew Lot and other people captive. Abram rescued Lot and the others. As Abram returned home from the battle, the king of Sodom and the king of Salem came to greet Abram and thank him for his kind and courageous deed. The king of Salem was Melchizedek who was also a priest. He greeted Abram with bread and wine.

Why would God have Moses record this strange encounter between Melchizedek and Abram? God was giving a picture of Messiah. Jesus is King and Priest. He gave His disciples bread and wine to symbolize the covenant relationship He had with them. Melchizedek is not listed in any of the genealogies of Genesis; he has no date of birth or date of death. Hebrews 7:3 says God did that on purpose to show the Son of God has neither beginning of days nor end of life.

God’s Word is amazing! Every Word is handcrafted by the Almighty to show you the Savior. Enjoy Him like you never have before this Christmas season.

Pray Genesis 14:14 and 16 in thanksgiving of what Christ has done for you.

“LORD, as soon as You heard

 I had been taken captive by sin, You pursued me.


Thank You for bringing me back to You.


In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 13 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 13.

Meditate on this phrase from verse 5.

Now Lot, who went with Abram …

There is a repeated phrase in Genesis 12-13: “Lot went with him” (Genesis 12:4; 13:1, 5). Lot was Abram’s nephew, the adult son of Abram’s deceased brother, Haran. Abram’s father, Terah, assumed the responsibility of his grandson, Lot, after the death of Haran (Genesis 11:27-31).

God told Abram to go forth from his country and from his relatives and from his father’s house to the land He would show him (Genesis 12:1). Well, Abram obeyed part of God’s commands. He left his country and went to the land God showed him, but he took Lot with him.

Partial obedience to God is disobedience, and there are always consequences to disobeying God. Abram gave up the best of God’s gift of land to selfish Lot in order to appease him and put an end to family strife. Abram finally obeyed God in Genesis 13:11, “thus they separated from each other.” But by this point, the consequences remained, and you will continue to read about Lot in the days to come. In fact, to this day, the descendants of Lot occupy the land east of the Jordan River (Genesis 13:11), and there is still strife between the descendants of Lot (Jordan) and the descendants of Abram (Israel).

Does it matter whether you choose to completely obey God or not? The countries of Israel and Jordan live with the consequences of a relative who partially obeyed God over 4000 years ago.

Pray Genesis 13:18 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, help ________ and me to move
our tents as soon as You tell us,


to the place You tell us, and in the way You tell us.


Then and there we will build an altar and worship You, LORD.

 Because of Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 12 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 12.

Meditate on verses 1-3.

Now the LORD said to Abram,

“Go forth from your country,

and from your relatives,

and from your father’s house,

 to the land which I will show you;

 and I will make you a great nation,

 and I will bless you, and make your name great;

and so you shall be a blessing;

and I will bless those who bless you,

and the one who curses you I will curse. 

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

You are about to start the Christian season many believers refer to as Advent. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas day. It is a time for meditation and prayer in anticipation of celebrating the coming of Christ to earth as the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for the sins of the world.

Genesis 12 contains a prophecy from God to Abram about the Messiah. When God told Abram, “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (v. 3), God was prophesying that the Savior for the entire world would be a descendant of Abram.

As you continue reading Genesis for the rest of the year, look for Jesus. Genesis was part of the Scriptures Paul used to give evidence that Jesus is the Christ and to explain salvation through faith in Him (Acts 17:2-3). The New Testament was just beginning to be written when Peter, James, Paul, and the other New Testament preachers were teaching. The Scriptures the writers of the New Testament used are the same Scriptures used today known as the Old Testament.

Look for evidence that Jesus is the Messiah in Genesis. It is a great treasure hunt!

Pray Genesis 12:3b, 4, and 8 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You for blessing __________ and me.

Help us go forth just as You command us to go.

 Wherever we go, may we worship You


and call on Your name, LORD.


Because of You, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 11 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 11.

Meditate on this phrase from verse 4.

Let us make for ourselves a name.

Moses recorded God’s Words in Genesis in a distinct pattern. In Genesis, God listed five genealogies starting with the genealogy of the earth (Genesis 1). Immediately following each genealogy, God gave a closer look at one part of the genealogy. For example, Genesis 2 is a closer look at how God created man.

God followed His pattern in Genesis 10-11. Genesis 10 is the genealogy of the nations of the world beginning with Noah’s three sons. Genesis 11 gives you a closer picture of Nimrod and his city, Babel, which were part of the genealogy in Genesis 10.

Nimrod’s rebellion before God continued in Genesis 11. The people in Nimrod’s city of Babel decided to make a name for themselves by building a city with a tower that reached into heaven. As they were saying, “Let us ... let us ... let us ...,” the LORD said, “Let Us go down there and confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7).

God will not tolerate rebellion! When you try to make a name for yourself, you are in opposition to God, and He will come down into your business and confuse what you are doing until you choose to let God’s name be glorified instead of your own.

Pray for God not to have to do Genesis 11:7 to you and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, Your name is above every name in heaven and earth!

As _________ and I bow to You, I pray You do not have


to come down and cause confusion in our lives.


In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 10 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 10.

Meditate on verse 32.

These are the families of the son of Noah,

according to their genealogies, by their nations;

and out of these the nations were separated on the earth after the flood.

From the three sons of Noah, the whole earth was populated (Genesis 9:19). The sons and grandsons of Japheth, Ham, and Shem are listed in Genesis 10. These are the men from whom all the nations on earth began.

God gave additional details about one man in this genealogy, like He did for Enoch in Adam’s genealogy (Genesis 5:21-24). God wanted you to know more about Nimrod.

Nimrod was the founder and leader of Babel. According to Hebrew scholars, C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Nimrod means “we will revolt.” He may have hunted animals, but in the context of these verses, Nimrod was a hunter, a killer of humans. He walked in rebellion before God to make himself mighty on earth and to establish his kingdom.

God told you about Nimrod, so you would learn from Nimrod. Examine your life. Do you walk with God like Enoch did? Or do you rebelliously walk before God like Nimrod did?

Pray not to be Genesis 10:8-9 for yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, You are the Mighty One on the earth.


Do not let ________ and me try to become what only You can be.

 Do not let us do anything before You.


Continue to make us like Enoch, walking with You (Genesis 5:24).

 In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 9 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 9.

Meditate on verse 9.

Now behold, I Myself do establish My covenant

 with you and with your descendants after you.

Before entering the ark, God promised to establish His covenant with Noah. Genesis 6:18 was the first time covenant was used in the Bible. The next time God used the word was in Genesis 9, after Noah and his family left the ark and offered sacrifices to God. A covenant is a contract between two individuals which is made official by signs, sacrifices, and vows. Seven times in Genesis 9 God said He would establish His everlasting covenant with Noah and his descendants after him for all successive generations to never again destroy the earth with a flood. The sign of His promise was His bow in the clouds (Genesis 9:13-14). This covenant set the pattern for the covenant God cut with Abram nearly 400 years later and the covenant He cut for you through Jesus Christ 2200 years after the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 15; Hebrews 13:20).

God takes covenants very seriously. The next time you see a rainbow think about the fact that as you are looking at it, God is also looking at it and remembering His everlasting covenant with every living creature that is on the earth (Genesis 9:16). If you are a Christian, thank God for the everlasting Noahic covenant and for the everlasting covenant you have in Christ.

As a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Genesis 9:16-17 over those who need to be in a covenant relationship with God.

“LORD, when You look upon _________, please remember them.

They need to be in an everlasting covenant with You.

God, You establish covenant. Establish them in Christ.


In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Genesis 8 ~ Praying God's Word

Please read Genesis 8.

Meditate on this phrase from verse 1.

But God remembered Noah…

God sent the prevailing, increasing, greatly increasing, prevailing more and more flood waters to blot out people whose every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5; 7:17-24). Noah was in the middle of those waters on the ark for one year and 17 days (Genesis 7:10-11; 8:14). I wonder if Noah ever thought God had forgotten him and his family during the course of that year. I wonder if he ever feared the prevailing floodwaters would blot out him and his family.

But God remembered Noah... What situation threatens to flood you and your family? What feels like it is about to blot you out? Come honestly before “the God and Father of your Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3) and ask Him to remember you. Confess your sins and the sins of others and ask Him to remember you and yours with His mercy and comfort.

God remembered Noah, and the water decreased steadily (Genesis 8:1 and 5).

God remembers you, and He wants the floodwaters to decrease in your life. He waits for you to humbly ask Him to do it.

Pray Genesis 8:1 and 5 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, remember _________ and me.

Please let these waters decrease steadily.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell