Colossians 1 - Praying God's Word

Please read Colossians 1.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/col/1/1/s_1108001

Meditate on verses 3-4.

We give thanks to God, the Father of our

 Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus

 and the love which you have for all the saints.

.

Imprisoned in Rome, Paul heard from Epaphras, a fellow church planter, about the faith and love of the church in Colossae. After starting this church, Epaphras visited Paul in Rome, and while there, he, too, was arrested. Tychicus brought this letter from Paul back to the Colossae Christians. God inspired Paul to write them since he was unable to meet with them. Included in the 27 books of the New Testament, this letter is also a divinely inspired message to Christians today, encouraging us to:

- Have faith in Jesus Christ (v. 4)

- Love the saints (v. 4)

- Recognize the hope laid up for us in heaven (v. 5)

- Hear and respond to the Word of Truth (v. 5)

- Help the Gospel constantly bear fruit in our communities and throughout the world (v. 6)

Pray Colossians 1:3-6 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“God, Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, I will pray always for __________.

Thank You for their faith in Christ Jesus

 and their love for all the saints because of the hope laid

 up for them in heaven, of which they previously heard in

the Word of Truth, the Gospel.  Let the Gospel constantly

 bear fruit and increase in the world.  Let the Gospel constantly

 bear fruit and increase in ___________ and me just as

 it has been doing since the day we heard of it

and understood Your grace, O God, in truth.

In Your name, Jesus ~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 31 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 31.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/31/1/s_659001

Meditate on verses 8-9.

Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate.

 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Pray Proverbs 31 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please do not let our sons give their strength

 to women or their ways to that which destroys kings.

  Do not let our rulers drink wine or desire strong drink,

for they will drink and forget what is decreed and

 pervert the rights of the afflicted.  Strong drink is for him

 who is perishing, and wine is for him whose life is bitter — he

 will drink and forget his poverty and remember

 his trouble no more.  Help us open our mouths for the mute,

 for the rights of all the unfortunate.  Let us open our mouths,

 judge righteously,  and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy. 

Make _______ an excellent wife; let her worth be far above jewels. 

Let the heart of her husband trust in her;

may he have no lack of gain.  Help her do him good

and not evil all the days of her life.  Help her look

for wool and flax and work with her hands in delight. 

Make her like merchant ships; let her bring her food from afar. 

May she rise while it is still night and give food

 to her household and portions to her maidens. 

Let her consider a field and buy it and

from her earnings plant a vineyard. 

Help her to gird herself with strength and make her arms strong. 

May she sense that her gain is good;

do not let her lamp go out at night. 

Let her stretch out her hand to the distaff (spindle);

 let her hands grasp the spindle. 

Let her extend her hands to the poor and stretch

 out her hands to the needy.  Do not let her be afraid of the

 snow for her household; let all her household be clothed

 with scarlet.  Let her make coverings for herself;

may her clothing be fine linen and purple. 

May her husband be known in the gates when

 he sits among the elders of the land.  Help her make

 linen garments and sell them and supply belts to the tradesmen.

 Let strength and dignity be her clothing; may she smile at the future. 

Let her open her mouth in wisdom and let the teaching

 of kindness be on her tongue.  Let her look well to the

ways of her household and not eat the bread of idleness.

 May her children rise up and bless her and her

 husband also; let him praise her, saying:

 ‘Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.’ 

May she realize charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain.

 May she fear You, LORD, and be praised. 

Give her the product of her hands and let

her works praise her in the gates.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 30 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 30.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/30/1/s_658001

Meditate on verse 5.

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield

 to those who take refuge in Him.

Pray Proverbs 30 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please do not let ________ and me be stupid.

 Give us Your understanding.  Help us learn Your wisdom.

 Give us knowledge of You, the Holy One.

 For You ascended into heaven and descended.

 You gathered the wind in Your fists. 

You wrapped the waters in Your garment. 

You have established the ends of the earth.

 Your name is LORD Jesus Christ – Surely we know!

 God, Your every word is tested.

 You are a shield to us; we take refuge in You. 

Do not let us add to Your words; we do not want Your reproof;

 we do not want to be proved a liar.

 LORD, please do not refuse us before we die. 

Keep deception and lies far from us.

 Give us neither poverty nor riches; feed

us with the food that is our portion, that we may

not be full and deny You and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’

 or that we not be in want and steal and profane Your name, our God.

 Do not let us slander others.  Do not let us

 curse our father; let us bless our mother.

 Do not let us be pure in our own eyes, yet not washed from our filthiness.

 LORD, do not let us be lofty in our own eyes;

 do not let us raise our eyelids in arrogance. 

Do not let our teeth be like swords and our jaw

 teeth like knives to devour the afflicted from the earth

 and the needy from among men.

 Do not let us be leeches who say, ‘Give, give.’ 

LORD, You are more than enough. 

Let us be satisfied with You.

 Do not let our eyes mock our father or scorn our mother;

we do not want our eyes picked out by ravens and eaten by eagles. 

There are things too wonderful for us and things

 difficult to understand: the way of an eagle in the sky,

 the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in

 the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

 Keep us from an adulterous woman who eats and

 wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done no wrong.’

 The earth quakes and cannot bear up when

 a slave becomes king, a fool is satisfied with food,

an unloved woman gets a husband, and

a maidservant supplants her mistress.

 These things are small on the earth but exceedingly wise:

ants who are not a strong people, but who

 prepare their food in summer; the shephanim (small, shy, furry animals)

who are not mighty people, yet they make

their houses in the rocks; the locusts who have no king,

 yet all of them go out in ranks; the lizard that you

may grasp with the hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

 There are three things which are stately in their march, even

four which are stately when they walk: the lion

 which is mighty among beasts and does not retreat

 before any, the strutting rooster, the male goat also,

 and a king when his army is with him. 

LORD, do not let us be foolish by exalting ourselves;

 do not let us plot evil.  Let us put our hand

over our mouth to keep from speaking foolishness,

 for the churning of milk produces butter and

pressing the nose brings forth blood. 

Do not let us churn anger and produce strife.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 29 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 29.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/29/1/s_657001

Meditate on verse 23.

A man’s pride will bring him low,

but a humble spirit will obtain honor.

Pray Proverbs 29 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please do not let _________ and me harden our necks

 after much reproof; we do not want to be broken beyond remedy.

 Let the righteous increase, so we can rejoice;

 do not let the wicked rule, causing us to groan.

 Let our children love wisdom and make us glad;

 do not let them waste their wealth by keeping company with harlots.

 Let our rulers bring stability to the land by justice;

do not let them take bribes, overthrowing the land.

 Keep us from spreading a net for our steps by flattering our neighbor.

 Do not let us be evil and ensnared by transgression.

 Make us righteous so we can sing and rejoice.

 Make us righteous so we are concerned for the rights of the poor.

 Do not let us be wicked, not understanding such concern.

 Scorners set a city aflame; make us wise people who turn away anger.

 Make us wise; keep us from controversy with a foolish man,

for the foolish either rage or laugh, and there is no rest. 

Keep us from men of bloodshed who hate the blameless;

make us upright, concerned for the life of the blameless.

 Do not let us be fools, always losing our tempers;

 make us wise, holding it back.

 Do not let our rulers pay attention to falsehood,

 for all their ministers become wicked.

 LORD, You give light to our eyes.

 Let our rulers judge the poor with truth,

 so they will be established forever.

 The rod and reproof give wisdom; do not let

 our children get their own way, bringing shame to us. 

Do not allow the wicked to increase; do not let

 transgression increase; let the righteous see them fall.

 Help us correct our children so they will

give us comfort and delight our souls. 

Do not let us be unrestrained; we want Your vision, LORD!

 Let us be happy as we keep the law.

 As Your bondslaves, LORD, instruct us with Your Words.

 Help us to understand and respond.

 Do not let us be hasty in our words; do not let us be hopeless fools.

 As we pamper our employee, may he become like a son. 

Do not let us be angry, stirring up strife;

 do not let us be hot-tempered, abounding in transgression. 

Keep us from pride that brings us low;

 give us a humble spirit that obtains honor.

 Do not let us partner with a thief, hating our own life.

  Keep us from making oaths to tell nothing.

 Do not let us fear man, for that brings a snare.

 Let us be exalted as we trust in You, LORD. 

Many seek the ruler’s favor, but we know

 that justice comes from You, LORD. 

Keep us from unjust men; they are abominable. 

Keep us upright in Your Way;

 make us abominable to the wicked.

For the glory of Your name, Jesus~”   

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 28 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 28.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/28/1/s_656001

Meditate on verse 20.

A faithful man will abound with blessings,

 but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished.

Pray Proverbs 28 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please make _________ and me

 righteous and bold as a lion.

 Do not let us be the wicked who

 flee when no one is pursuing.

  Let our land be led by a man of understanding

 and knowledge so it will endure.

 Do not let us oppress the lowly.

 Help us keep the law and not praise the wicked.

 Make us people who seek You, LORD;

 help us to understand all things. 

May we walk in integrity; do not let us

strive to be rich by being crooked.

 Let our children be discerning keepers of the law;

do not let them humiliate us by

being a companion of gluttons.

  Do not let us increase our wealth by interest and usury;

 let us be gracious to the poor.  Let us listen to the law

 so our prayers will not be an abomination to You.

 Do not let us lead the upright astray in an evil way,

 or we will fall into our own pit.  Make us blameless,

 so we will inherit good.  Do not let us be wise

 in our own eyes; give us understanding

 to see through those who are.

 LORD, let the righteous triumph,

so there will be great glory;

keep the wicked from rising, so men

will not need to hide themselves. 

We will not prosper if we conceal our transgressions;

may we find compassion as we confess and forsake them.

  May we be blessed as we fear You always;

 do not let us fall into calamity by hardening our hearts. 

Do not let our rulers be wicked, running over poor people

 like a roaring lion and a rushing bear.

  Do not let our leaders be great oppressors

 who lack understanding; let them prolong their

 days by hating unjust gain. 

Do not let us be laden with the guilt of human blood

 and become a fugitive until death.

 Let us be delivered as we walk blamelessly;

do not let us be the crooked who fall at once. 

Please give us plenty of food as we till our land;

 do not let us follow empty pursuits which

create poverty in a time of plenty.

  Make us faithful people who abound in blessings;

do not let us make haste to be rich and incur punishment.

 Do not let us show partiality.

  Remove from us an evil eye that hastens after wealth,

 causing want to come upon us. 

Help us to rebuke when necessary

 rather than flatter with the tongue.

 Do not let our children rob from us

 and say, ‘It is not a transgression.’

 Do not let them become the

 companion of a man who destroys. 

Do not let us be arrogant, stirring up strife;

 let us prosper as we trust in You, LORD.

 Do not let us be fools who trust in their own heart,

 but deliver us as we walk wisely with You.

 May we never want as we give to the poor;

do not let us shut our eyes to them, incurring many curses. 

May the wicked perish;

 let the righteous increase, so men

 no longer need to hide themselves.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 27 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 27.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/27/1/s_655001

Meditate on verse 2.

Let another praise you and not your own mouth,

a stranger and not your own lips.

Pray Proverbs 27 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, do not let _______ and me boast about tomorrow,

 for we do not know what a day may bring forth.

 Let another praise us and not our own mouth,

a stranger and not our own lips.

 Keep us from the provocation of a fool;

do not let us be fools who provoke.

 Keep us from jealousy, anger, and wrath.

 Help us to accept and learn from an open rebuke. 

Do not let us conceal love. 

Help us to learn from the faithful wounds of a friend.

 Do not let us be fooled by the deceitful kisses of an enemy.

 Let us give to the famished.

 Do not let _________ wander from his home.

 Make our counsel sweet to our friends.

 Do not let us forsake our friends.

 Give us wisdom where to turn in the day of calamity.

 Let our children be wise and make our hearts glad.

  Let us be above reproach.

 Let us be prudent and hide ourselves when we see evil.

 Do not let us naively proceed into evil and pay the penalty.

  Do not let us become surety for a stranger

 or give a pledge to an adulteress woman.

 Do not let us bless others with a loud

 voice early in the morning; do not let our

 voices become a curse to others.

  Do not let _________ be a constantly dripping

contentious woman.  Restrain her, LORD.

 Let us sharpen each other as iron sharpens iron.

 Let us tend the fig tree, so we can eat its fruit.

 Let us be honored as we care for our master.

 Our hearts reflect who we are; make us like You, Jesus.

 Let our eyes be satisfied with what You give us. 

The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold;

 let us test the praise given to us.

 Pound the foolishness out of us!

 Let us know well the condition of our flocks

 and pay attention to our herds. 

Let us always remember that riches are not forever,

 nor does a crown endure to all generations.

 LORD, thank You for Your provision,

 for when the grass disappears,

 the new growth is seen, and the

 herbs of the mountains are gathered in.

 The lambs will be for our clothing, and

 the goats will bring the price of a field. 

Let there be goats’ milk enough for our food

and the food of our household

 and sustenance for our maidens. 

Because of You, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 26 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 26.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/26/1/s_654001

Meditate on verse 4.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly,

or you will also be like him.

Pray Proverbs 26 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, do not let _______ and me be fools.

 Make us fit for honor.  Do not let a curse without

 cause alight on us.  Do not let us be fools

who need a rod to the back.  Do not let us answer

 a fool according to his folly and be like him.

 Help us answer him as his folly deserves

 so that he is not wise in his own eyes.

 Do not let us cut off our own feet and drink violence

 by sending a message by the hand of a fool.

 Do not let us pay attention to useless

 proverbs in the mouth of fools.  Do not let us

 give honor to a fool or hire a fool, for fools repeat

 their folly like a dog returns to its vomit. 

Do not let us be wise in our own eyes. 

Do not let us be sluggards that talk about there

 being a lion in the road but refuse to do anything about it.

 Do not let us be sluggards who turn in our

 beds like a door on its hinges.

 Do not let us be sluggards that bury our

 hand in the dish and are too weary to bring

the dish to our mouth.  Do not let us be sluggards

 that are wise in our own eyes.  Keep us from

 meddling with strife that does not belong to us. 

Do not let us deceive our neighbor and say we were just joking. 

May we quiet contention by not whispering it. 

Do not let us be contentious kindlers of strife.

 Do not let us be whisperers of dainty morsels

 of gossip that go into the innermost parts of the body. 

Do not let us have burning lips and a wicked heart. 

Do not let us use our lips to disguise hate, and

 do not let us lay up deceit in our hearts.

 Do not let us believe one who speaks graciously

 but has seven abominations in his heart,

 for though his hatred covers itself with deceit,

 his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

 Keep us from digging a pit that we will fall into

 and from rolling a stone that will come back on us. 

Keep us from a lying tongue that hates those it crushes

 and from a flattering mouth that works ruin.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell

Proverbs 25 - Praying God's Word

Please read Proverbs 25.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/pro/25/1/s_653001

Meditate on verse 25,

Like cold water to a weary soul,

so is good news from a distant land.

Pray Proverbs 25 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, it is to Your glory to conceal a matter,

but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

 May our rulers seek You to reveal what matters.

 May our rulers allow You to search their hearts. 

LORD, take away the dross from the silver;

make _______ and me a vessel for You. 

Take away the wicked before the king

 so his throne will be established in righteousness.

 Do not let us claim honor in the presence of the king,

and do not let us stand in the place of great men.

 If it is Your will, LORD, let it be said to us, ‘Come up here.’

 Do not let us be placed lower in the presence of the

prince because we placed ourselves too high in our own eyes.

 Do not let us go out hastily to argue our case

 so that our neighbor humiliates us in the end.

 Give us wisdom how to argue our case with our neighbor

 and do not let us reveal the secrets of others.

 We do not want to be reproached by the one

 who hears it; do not let there be an evil report

 about us that will not pass away.

 Let our words be spoken in right circumstances

 like apples of gold in settings of silver. 

Make us wise reprovers to listening ears

 like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold.

 Make us faithful messengers to those who send us;

 let us refresh the soul of our masters

 like the cold of snow in the time of harvest. 

Do not let us be like clouds and wind without

rain by boasting about our gifts falsely.

 Give us forbearance to persuade a ruler;

give us soft tongues to break the bone. 

When we find honey, let us only eat what we need

 so we do not have it in excess and vomit it.

 Let our foot rarely be in our neighbor’s house

 so he does not become weary of us and hate us. 

Do not let us bear false witness against our neighbor

 and become like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow. 

Let others have confidence in us to be faithful in time of trouble.

 Give us wisdom for what to do for a troubled heart;

 do not let us sing songs to them for that is like

 taking off a garment on a cold day or like vinegar on soda.

 If our enemy is hungry, let us give him food to eat;

 if he is thirsty, let us give him water to drink;

 for we will heap burning coals on his head.

 LORD, please reward us.

 Do not let us have a backbiting tongue

 that brings an angry countenance.

 Do not let ________ be a contentious woman

 whose family would rather live in a corner

 of a roof than share a house with her.

 Please bring good news from a distant land;

 it will be like cold water to our weary souls.

 Keep the righteous from giving way before the wicked,

for that is like a trampled spring and a polluted well.

 There is no glory in searching out our own glory;

 let us not be tempted to seek it.

 Help us to control our spirits so we are not like

 a city that is broken into and without walls.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL, 3 – Dr. Ron and Marsha Harvell