1 Peter 1 - Praying God's Word

Please read 1 Peter 1.

Meditate on verse 25.

But the Word of the LORD endures forever.

And this is the Word which was preached to you.

Peter was the disciple who denied knowing Jesus three times the night before Christ was crucified. Peter was part of Jesus’ inner circle of friends, but that night, Peter was more motivated by fear than love for his LORD. However, rather than killing himself in his shame like Judas did, Peter let Jesus forgive and restore him. After the resurrection, Christ graciously came to Peter, asked him if he loved Him, and exhorted him three times to shepherd His sheep (John 21:15-19). Peter wrote two letters as part of obeying his LORD’s command to tend His lambs. Thankfully, as a lamb of God, you have these shepherding letters to tend your heart and the hearts of those God has called you to shepherd.

Peter’s enduring letter explains how you are saved and protected by the power of God. It says that your faith is more precious than gold, so do not be distressed by trials because God uses trials to prove your faith.

Based on these and the many other truths found in 1 Peter 1, pray 1 Peter 1:13-16 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, let ____________ and me prepare our minds for action,

keep sober in spirit, and fix our hope completely

on the grace to be brought to us at the revelation of You, Jesus Christ.


As obedient children, do not let us be conformed to the former lusts

 which were ours in our ignorance.

But like You, Holy One, who called us, let us be holy in all our behavior.


We can be holy because You are holy.


In Your name, Jesus~”

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

James 5 - Praying God's Word

Please read James 5.

Meditate on verse 16b.

The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

Do not grow weary and lose heart in your prayer life. God heard and answered Elijah’s prayers, and he was a person just like you. Even Elijah had a sinful nature.

Do not believe Satan when he says your prayers will not make a difference, or the sins of your past disqualify you to ask the LORD to work in your life and the lives of others.

God says you must pray. You must pray when you are suffering; you must pray when you are cheerful. You must pray for others and yourself. James compares human lives to soil that needs early and late rains in order to produce a crop. Pray for God’s truth to rain on those you love in order to produce a bountiful harvest of righteousness.

Pray James 5:19-20 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, _________ has strayed from Your truth.

 Turn them back. Turn them from the error of their ways.

Save their soul from death and cover a multitude of their sins.

 In Your name, Jesus~”

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

James 4 - Praying God's Word

Please read James 4.

Meditate on verse 6.

But He gives greater grace.

Therefore it says,

“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

As if God’s grace to save you from eternity in hell isn’t enough, He gives greater grace to forgive you when you fall back into the sins listed in James 4:1-4. James wrote to Christians. These believers were fighting, quarreling, lusting, envying, murdering, being friends with the world, and being enemies of God. James calls them adulteresses for engaging in such hostile behaviors.

God jealously desires the Holy Spirit He caused to dwell in you to be allowed to live in you. You have a choice to make. In appreciation of God’s greater grace will you submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, purify your heart and mind, be miserable and mourn over your sin, and humble yourself in the presence of the LORD?

Pray James 4:6-10 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD, You are opposed to the proud.


May _________ and I be humble;
we need Your greater grace.


Help us to submit to You and resist the devil.

 Make the devil flee from us.


Draw near to us, LORD, as we draw to You.

Cleanse our hands and our double-minded hearts.

 Let us be miserable, mourn, and weep over sin.

 Let us never laugh and be joyful about sin.

LORD, may we humble ourselves in Your presence.

You be exalted, Jesus,


For Your name’s sake~”

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

James 3 - Praying God's Word

Please read James 3.

Meditate on verse 17.

But the wisdom from above is first pure,

then peaceable, gentle, reasonable,

 full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

James will grow you up in Jesus. He teaches you how to handle trials, temptations, favoritism, and proof of salvation. Chapter 3 of his letter disciples you in the use of your tongue. Jesus needs to pilot your tongue; otherwise you are in possession of an instrument full of deadly poison and capable of setting an entire forest on fire (James 3:4-8).

This chapter also addresses wisdom, which is key to the control of your tongue. Be aware there are two types of wisdom. There is God’s wisdom, and there is demonic wisdom. Demonic wisdom is characterized by bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, arrogance, and lies. It is earthly and unspiritual. Demonic is a strong adjective; God wants to grab your attention and make you think about what you believe. Does the wisdom you advocate come from God or Satan?

God’s wisdom is:

1.     Pure                                  5.   Full of mercy

2.     Peaceable                         6.   Full of good fruits

3.     Gentle                               7.   Unwavering

4.     Reasonable                      8.   Without hypocrisy

Examine your thoughts, words, and actions by the wisdom of God. Whose wisdom is governing your life?

Pray James 3:13-18 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman ( Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, please make ________ and me wise and understanding.

 Let us show our good behavior in the gentleness of wisdom.

Remove bitter jealousy and selfish ambition from our hearts.

Do not let us be arrogant and lie against the truth.


Let us have nothing to do with
earthly, natural, and demonic wisdom


that does not come from above.

Let us have Your wisdom which is:
pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, 

full of mercy,
 full of good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy.

May we bear the fruit of righteousness as makers of peace.

 In Your name, Jesus~”

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

James 2 - Praying God's Word

Please read James 2.

Meditate on verses 12-13.

So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy;

mercy triumphs over judgment.

If you are in Christ, then His mercy has trumped the judgment you deserve for your sins. Because of mercy, Jesus will not make reference to your sins when He returns to judge the rest of the world that does not know Him as Savior (Hebrews 9:28). When Christ returns, you will be judged by the law of freedom; non-believers will be judged according to their lawless deeds. In Christ you receive amazing mercy!

As a recipient of God’s mercy, what should be the obvious proof of your salvation? You ought to be a merciful person. If you have received the mercy of Jesus Christ, you cannot help but extend mercy to others. So speak and so act as someone living in the mercy of Jesus Christ. If you are a merciless person, then you need to evaluate your salvation. Are you truly a child of God?

Pray James 2:1 and 12-13 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “Glorious LORD Jesus Christ,

do not let __________ and me hold our faith

 in You with an attitude of personal favoritism.

 Help us speak and act as those who are to
be judged

 by Your law of liberty.
Help us show mercy to others.


We do not want Your judgment

that
will be merciless to those who show no mercy.


In Your name, Jesus~”

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

James 1 - Praying God's Word

Please read James 1.

Meditate on verse 1a.

James, a bond-servant of God and of the LORD Jesus Christ…

James is a letter written by the half-brother of Jesus Christ. Before the resurrection of Christ, James was a mocking younger brother who thought Jesus was crazy (John 7:1-9; Mark 3:20-21). A risen LORD so changed his skeptical life, he not only became a Christian, he became the head of the church at Jerusalem and a mentor to Paul (Acts 1; 15; 21; Galatians 1:15-19).

James laid no claim to the fame of being Christ’s brother, rather he said he was a bond-servant, and Jesus Christ was his LORD. A resurrected Savior changes a person for eternity.

This letter is crucial for your walk as a disciple of Jesus Christ. From his salutation, James described true discipleship. If you are a follower of Christ, you will be His bond-servant—one who chooses to stay with a benevolent master rather than leaving to live on their own. The bond-servant gives their master their ear to have an awl pierce the lobe, permanently marking the person as belonging to another. Are you a bond-servant of Jesus Christ? Does He have your ear? Are His the Words you hear and obey? Is He LORD? Is He your Master, the One possessing supreme power and authority in your life?

Pray James 1:1 and 21-22 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “LORD Jesus Christ,
make ________ and me Your bond-servants.


Help us put aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness.

 In humility let us receive the Word implanted,
which is able to save our souls.


Let us prove ourselves doers of the Word


and not merely hearers who delude ourselves.


In Your name, Jesus~”

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

Hebrews 13 - Praying God's Word

Please read Hebrews 13.

Meditate on verse 18.

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience,

desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.

God wrote this letter called Hebrews to prove Jesus is superior to angels, superior to the Law of Moses, superior to earthly priests, and superior to the sacrificial system. He is superior because He is God, your Great High Priest, and your perfect sacrifice.

Every human must consider Jesus, and no one will escape the fiery judgment should they choose to refuse Christ and neglect the so great a salvation found only in Him. The only way to please God is by faith, believing Him and His promises. Laying aside your sin and fixing your eyes on Jesus will prove your life of faith in Christ.

Because Jesus did everything to cleanse you from sin and an evil conscience, it only makes sense to desire to conduct yourself honorably in all things. The Writer urges you to pay attention to this Word of exhortation (Hebrews 13:22).

Pray the prayer that the scribe of Hebrews prayed over the readers (Hebrews 13:20-21). Pray it over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

 “Now God of peace, who brought up from the dead

the great Shepherd of the sheep,


through the blood of the eternal covenant,
Jesus our LORD,


equip __________ in every good thing to do Your will,

working in them that which is pleasing in Your sight,

through Jesus Christ, to whom be the
glory forever and ever.

Amen~”

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