Romans 1 - Praying God's Word

Please read Romans 1.

www.blueletterbible.org/nasb/rom/1/1/s_1047001

Meditate on verse 16.

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel,


for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

 to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Gospel means good message, specifically the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul examined the Gospel of Jesus Christ from every angle in order to prove salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel because he knew it was the power of God for salvation to everybody who believes it.

In the Gospel, God’s righteousness is revealed. God also reveals His wrath against everyone who suppresses the truth of the Gospel by living in unrighteousness.

A person who refuses to honor God and exchanges the truth of God for a lie is in a horrific place. God tells you in Romans 1 that every human knows God, yet some will become fools and deny God. The punishment for such a deadly decision is that God gives fools over to their lusts, degrading passions, and depraved minds (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).

Pray Romans 1:16 and 21 over those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let not be ashamed of the Gospel.

Let them believe, so they can have Your power for salvation.

 Let them know You, honor You, and give thanks to You.

 Do not let them become futile in their thinking


or let their hearts be darkened and foolish.


In Your name, Jesus~”

For the next four months, you will read and pray the 21 letters of the New Testament. The LORD wrote these letters to teach you the truth about who He is and how you as a Christian are to live in relationship with Him and others.

The WATCHMAN on the WALL  by 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 10-11 and 30.

An excellent wife, who can find?  For her worth is far above jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Just as the virtues in Titus 1:6-9 make a good list for a man to be or for a woman to look for in a husband, Proverbs 31:10-31 is a list of virtues to aspire to as a woman and characteristics to look for in a wife. This woman can inspire us all!

It can be a difficult passage of Scripture for many women because it lays out a woman of such high standards they feel defeated by it. The characteristics of a Godly, hard working wife and mother are displayed with a climactic ending that summarizes the book of Proverbs and explains why this woman was a success.

But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

—Proverbs 31:30b

Proverbs ends with the truth God used to start the book, the truth He wanted you to learn as you prayed this book: 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.

—Proverbs 1:7a

Fear of Almighty God is the only way to gain true wisdom and success in this life.

This woman’s fear of God even brought her praise in the gates of the city (Proverbs 31:31).

The city gate was where the elders, nobles, judges, and leaders would sit and do the business of the city or region. It was the official gathering place. It was here that her Godly behaviors were being upheld and praised. Throughout Proverbs men have been valued for wisdom, discretion, and righteousness. It is fitting that Proverbs ends with the woman of virtue being praised.

Two final thoughts:

Ø  Husband, let your wife be all God wants her to be, and do not envy her praise, for it is yours as well. 

Ø  See the value of Godly behavior as a public witness to God’s work in your life. May God be praised in the city gates!

Pray Proverbs 31:10-11 and 30-31 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, make _______ an excellent wife, whose worth is far above jewels. 

Let her husband trust her.  May this couple have no lack of gain. 

LORD, charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; may we be people who fear You.

 May what we do bring You praise in the gates.

For the sake of Your Kingdom, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ 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 verses 3-4.

Neither have I learned wisdom,
nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
 Who has ascended into Heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the Earth?
What is His name or His son’s name?
Surely you know!

Here is Agur, who described himself as the stupidest man on earth.  Despite being inspired by God to write down his brilliant observations, he sees himself as not very smart.; so stupid in fact, he is less than a man in his understanding (Proverbs 30:2).

However, he asks some important questions. 

Ø  Who has ascended into heaven and descended?

Ø  Who can gather the wind in His fists or wrap the waters in His garment? 

Ø  Who has established all the ends of the earth? 

Ø  What is His name? 

Ø  What is His son’s name?  “Surely you know!” 

Maybe Agur is not so stupid after all.

Well, as a result of your privileged place in history, you know the answer to Agur’s questions. His name is Jesus!

Paul asked similar questions in 1 Corinthians 2:11 and 16:

Who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man

 which is in him? And who has known the mind of the LORD, that he will instruct Him?

Paul concluded that the Holy Spirit knows. And, as a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit; therefore, you know because you have the mind of Christ!

With your New Testament understanding of the LORD, who has revealed Himself to you through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, pray with confidence Proverbs 30:3-4 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, thank You for giving ________ and me

wisdom and knowledge of You, the Holy One.

You have ascended into heaven and descended.
You have gathered the wind in Your fists.
You have wrapped the waters into Your garment.
You have established all the ends of the earth.
It is You, YAHWEH, and Your Son’s name is Jesus!
Surely we know!”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ 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 verses 18.

Where there is no vision, the people go unrestrained,

but happy is he who keeps the law.

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). Perish and unrestrained are the words used to describe what happens to people without a vision. Without purpose, direction, and focus, people are undisciplined and unruly.

But, when people know God’s truth and His vision, they stop wandering aimlessly; they stop trying to figure out life on their own.

Herb Hodges describes the importance of churches having vision for the direction they are to go in his book, Tally Ho, the Fox! He used the foxhunt illustration for understanding. At the start of the hunt, the dogs are meeting each other; some of the riders are talking; some are dismounted and working with their gear. Then the horn blows, and the fox is released. “Tally ho! The fox!” Everyone, every horse, and every dog is now focused on the common goal of chasing the fox.

In the same way, congregations need to have a common focus in following the LORD’s will for their church. Individual families should have vision from the LORD on why they exist and what their purpose is.

Pray Proverbs 29:18a over your family, your church, and others for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, give _______ and me Your vision.

Help us stay focused on it,

so we are not unrestrained

 and so we will not perish.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ 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 verses 7a and 9.

He who keeps the law is a discerning son,

He who turns away his ear from listening to the law,

even his prayer is an abomination.

Prayer warriors, this is an important passage of Scripture for you. Your effectiveness in praying and discernment in praying are directly connected to your walk with the LORD.

In 1 Peter 3:7, husbands are told to treat their wives correctly so their prayers are not hindered. In Isaiah, it is not the LORD’s capabilities that affect prayers but human sins (Isaiah 59:1-2).

In Proverbs 28, the discerning son is one who keeps the law. But the one who turns his ears from hearing the law will have the consequence of prayers that are an abomination to God.

Pray for divine sensitivity to discern areas of your life where the LORD needs to forgive you for sin, so your prayers will not be hampered.

Pray Proverbs 28:7 and 9 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, make _______ and me discerning.

Help us keep Your law.

Let us not humiliate You or our earthly fathers.

Do not let us turn our ears from listening to Your law,

so our prayers will not be an abomination.

In Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ 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 verses 1, 2, 6, and 17.

Do not boast about tomorrow,

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

Let another praise you, and not your own mouth;

a stranger, and not your own lips.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Iron sharpens iron,

 so one man sharpens another.

The Bible has many verses about not being invested in the cares of tomorrow since you are not in control of that day nor much of the one you are in currently. This understanding leads to a humble, constant trust in the LORD throughout each day. Applying that wisdom in unceasing prayer brings blessings to your day with the LORD (I Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Note Proverbs 27:2: “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth.” This is a hard one for most people. Often people are insecure and brag so much they appear arrogant. A man from the college we attended asked his date one night, after many dates together, why she never bragged about him. She stated she would start when he stopped bragging about himself.

True friends, described in Proverbs 27:6 as faithful friends, are going to say things to you that are hurtful, but in your best interest. Verse 17 illustrates verse 6: “Iron sharpens iron like one man can sharpens another.”

This process of disciplining one another is sometimes hard, but when done among Godly believers, it develops character and increases wisdom and righteousness. Do you have friends in your life who tell you the truth about yourself and love you all the more for letting them help you be the man or woman of God He desires you to be?

Pray Proverbs 27:1-2, and 17 over yourself and those for whom you stand guard as a faithful, prayerful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7).

“LORD, let ________ and me not boast in tomorrow.

Thank You that You know what the day will bring forth.

We trust You!

Keep us from praising ourselves, LORD.

Give us friends that will sharpen us and who will let us sharpen them.

For the sake of Your name, Jesus~”

The WATCHMAN on the WALL ~ 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 verses 1, 14, and 26.

Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool.

As a door turns on its hinges,

so does the sluggard on his bed.

Though his hatred covers itself with guile,

his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.

As there are three heroes in Proverbs, there are also three villains: the Fool, the Sluggard, and the Wicked. These three are all present in the parade of sayings found in chapter 26.

The Fool

It is wrong, even hurtful, to honor a foolish person. From the perspective of the whole of Proverbs, the fool cannot change.

The Sluggard

The sluggard is so selfish and lazy that he does not contribute to society. He is only concerned about himself. He does not care about his name or working to take care of others. He is a user of others for the sake of his own laziness. The book of Proverbs does not hold hope for the sluggard to change.

The Wicked

The wicked man is not so lazy. He is actively selfish in furthering his evil agenda. He has a plan to counter all that is good. He hates God and goodness. In the book of Proverbs redemption for the wicked is not discussed. Thankfully, we have the New Testament perspective where God changes all who believe in Jesus as their LORD and Savior. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, God revealed His plan to elevate the lesser things. In verse 27 and following it says, “... but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong ... that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

Jesus is the hero! He makes the foolish wise. He makes the wicked righteous. He makes the sluggard into a hardworking servant.

As a faithful watchman (Isaiah 62:6-7), pray Proverbs 26:1, 14, and 26 with confidence for those you know God can change.

“LORD, make _______ fitting of honor.

LORD, make _______ get out of bed.

LORD, make _______ cease from wickedness.

In Your name, Jesus~”

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