Many Bible passages connect watchfulness and prayer. While preaching sounds the trumpet of alarm in the ears of men, prayer sounds the alarm in the ears of God. As a watchman, each believer has a responsibility to his brother or sister in Christ. While some believers are spiritually sleeping, unaware of their present danger, other believers ought to be standing upon the tower of watchfulness and calling upon the Lord. This was the point of Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:18 when he said, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
If ever there was a man in the early church that qualified as a watchman, it would have been the apostle Paul. Paul includes “in watchings often” in his testimony about the trials he endured. He also mentioned that these watchings approved him as a minister of God (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). We know from the biblical accounts that when many believers were unaware of danger, the apostle Paul stood upon the tower and sounded the trumpet of alarm. While others were spiritually sleeping, the apostle Paul was sober and alert to the needs of the church. No doubt Paul endured sleepless nights, fasted, and went without even the necessities of life because he was watching for the church.
David was a man after the heart of God (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). He loved the Lord and it repeatedly showed in his life. Even on the occasions when he failed the Lord, he repentantly sought the Lord. In fact, one of the greatest manifestations of David’s love for the Lord manifested itself in his love for the house of God. In our passage, David spoke of the overwhelming gladness he had when contemplating a trip to God’s house. He received great joy in knowing that it was there that he could meet and fellowship with God whom he so deeply loved. As born-again believers, we have many reasons why we should long to meet with the saints of God in worship. We too should rejoice when others say, “Let us go unto the house of the LORD.”
Each week, hopefully several times a week, a body of like-minded believers to which you belong assembles for the purpose of worshipping and glorifying God. According to scripture, we are not to forsake this assembling of believers. In fact, we are to gather more frequently as we see the coming of the Lord drawing nigh. In a day when more churches are cancelling Sunday evening and midweek services, Bible-believing Christians ought to counteract the trend by finding ways to assemble with other believers more frequently. Early believers assembled on a daily basis (Acts 2:46). Maybe this is less convenient during our day and time; but nonetheless, we certainly should be careful not to forsake the times already appointed for assembling together. Determine to be in your place the next time the saints assemble.
In His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the will of His Father. Today’s passage calls attention to one of the areas in which He accomplished that will. It was the Saviour’s custom (or habitual habit) to locate and attend the local synagogue on the Sabbath day. What purpose did this custom serve? [The incarnate Son of God had no need of the fellowship and spiritual blessings derived from attending places of worship, yet His faithfulness to do so clearly testifies to the importance of faithful church attendance for those who know the Lord.] For the nation of Israel, the Sabbath or seventh day of the week served as the most important day. Christians in the New Testament meet weekly on the Lord’s Day or the first day of the week (Acts 20:7), yet the application of assembling together remains constant. Unless providentially hindered or physically confined, there should never be any question where the Christian will be at church time. Unlike the Saviour, we need the fellowship of God’s people along with the spiritual admonitions received from faithful church attendance.
