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All Christians, at one time or another, experience weakness. We could be tired, sick, experiencing loss of some kind, etc. It is often during these times when the enemy strikes and tries to manipulate those weaknesses. It is during times of weakness you really need to guard your heart and mind so that you can experience God’s peace and don’t allow negative thinking to take root. Find out how to set a watchman on the wall to protect your peace!
Guard Your Heart and Mind In Times of Weakness and Weariness
I have been experiencing a real lack of sleep lately. We have had our dogs for 7 years now and all of a sudden, after starting my blog
, they have begun waking me up in the middle of the night, every night.
I am a very light sleeper, unlike my husband who sleeps like a rock. So I wake up at even the slightest of noises.
I have one dog that has to move to various parts of the room throughout the night and his nails hit the hardwood floors like tap shoes
!
Then the other dog has to lick his paws for what seems like an eternity. He does it so long it wakes me out of a sound sleep. I am convinced that is the most annoying sound on the planet!
Once I am awake, my brain thinks it is time to start thinking of EVERYTHING I have been too busy to think about during the day. Next thing I know, an hour has passed and I am still awake!
After this goes on for DAYS, it leaves me depleted mentally and physically. I find it difficult to focus during the day and even my prayers
seem to change.
There are so many times I will be in prayer and just throw up my hands and say “Sorry Lord, I am just wiped out. I’ve got nothing! I don’t even know what to say!”
After some time it can lead to feeling depressed because you feel like you just can’t keep up with life! You feel like you let everyone down because they want to do things and you just don’t have the energy. You feel like life is just getting away from you.
Then that despondent feeling just affects everything else and starts a vicious cycle.
Setting a Watchman On The Wall to Guard Your Heart and Mind
It is so vital during these times to keep guarding both your heart and mind.
Proverbs 4:23 says:
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” ESV
The Hebrew
for “guard” here is “natsar” and it means “to keep, observe, guard with fidelity, watchman”.
So how do you set a guard over your heart?
Watchmen in the Bible guarded the cities. They kept a watch out for enemies and alerted those in the city of any threat! They did not wait for the enemy to attack and THEN respond. Action was taken as soon as they saw the enemy approach!
The Bible says of the heart “everything you do flows from it”!
Everything I do flows out of my heart! When I fail to set a guard, a watchman on the wall over my heart, I let the enemy trample right in through the walls!! It is like leaving a city unguarded from its enemies!
What are you doing to set a watchman on the wall, a guard, over your heart? What are you doing to guard your mind?
Guard Your Heart and Mind Through the Peace of God
Philippians 4:6-7 says:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” NKJV
The peace of God will guard your heart and your mind IN CHRIST JESUS through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving! It is really THAT simple!
We have direct access to God through Christ Jesus! We can approach Him at any time. The veil of the temple was torn in two giving us direct access to the Holy of Holies and yet so often we sit outside and wait for the enemy to attack before we run to Him.
Guard Your Mind and Heart When The Enemy Strikes
We have failed to set a watchman on the wall. We wait until the weakness comes, we wait until the attack comes.
I wasn’t doing anything to prevent the attack from coming until AFTER it took place. By then I was exhausted and worn out.
What an ingenious plan for an enemy isn’t it? Wait until the army is exhausted and worn out and then wage the battle!
I need to seek God’s peace before there is a lack of sleep! When we are in ministry of any kind, the enemy is going to attack our weaknesses. Mine is lack of sleep! I knew that but I didn’t cover myself in prayer for it until AFTER it was an issue!
I could feel God telling me ‘You did not guard your heart and mind! You tried to fight the battle once it began instead of keeping the enemy away to begin with!’
I Failed to Set a Watchman on the Wall!!
Out of our heart, EVERYTHING we do flows from it. It affected everything, especially blogging
!
I told a friend I was tapped out! I couldn’t write! Topics were not the problem; I had ideas but the words wouldn’t come! I had a block and nothing I did worked!
My writing flows from my heart, but I did not have a guarded heart! This then affected my mind because it allowed negative thoughts to enter in! I began to think maybe my blogging wasn’t good enough. I thought maybe I really WASN’T called to blog.
Satan loves to attack our thinking and many times it is because we left our hearts unguarded! It flows both ways! He can attack our hearts through our thinking and our thinking through our unguarded hearts!
Be sure to always guard your mind and heart!
Set a watchman on the wall and don’t wait for the attack to act!!
Bible Verses to Help Guard Your Mind and Heart
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right[a] spirit within me. ESV
Matthew 22:37
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] NIV
John 14:27
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] NIV
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength[a] of my heart and my portion forever. ESV
WANTED: mothers, fathers, laypeople, and leaders to serve as watchmen-sentinels who stand watch on behalf of our families, our churches, and our nation. After reading Watchman Prayer, readers who accept this assignment will be equipped to discern the direction of the Lord and the plans of the enemy. Worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger and feelings of condemnation: all these are attacks on the mind. If readers suffer from negative thoughts, they can take heart! Joyce Meyer has helped millions win these all-important battles. In her most popular bestseller ever, the beloved author and minister shows readers how to change their lives by changing their minds. An awesome book written by my former Rabbi, Moshe Laurie! Spiritual power can be yours today! Strengthen your armor with the foundations of spiritual warfare from a Messianic Rabbi: • Choice is what you get when you choose correctly. • Commit to obey and covenant with God so that you will hear Him.Guard Your Heart and Mind
Watchman Prayer by Dutch Sheets
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Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved
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When we are lacking and not at our strongest we are attacked. Lack of sleep will do that for sure. Remember your prayers and ask for help always. Seek strength and keep on reading scriptures and studying.
Thank you Candy! Yes I have to get better at asking for help…from God and from others!
So good that you are sharing truths. I have found in my times of weakness when the enemy is trying to get me through those whispers. Running to the truth of God’s word is my safety!!
Amen!! You can never go wrong running to the Word!!
Amen. Whatever it is that’s in our heart, I believe God has planted it to be there. Therefore we must listen to it with the constant guidance of the Word. Thank you for this ❤️
Thank you Hazel!! You are so right!!
I love this…watchman! I’m going to be pondering this all day, thank you!
Thank you so much Michelle!!
While reading this it reminded me of the parable of the women with the oil. Only the ones who were prepared had enough oil to last the night and were the only ones to enter the wedding feast. It seems like it’s a similar idea with the watchmen. We need to be prepared – guarded – before anything bad happens, like our oil running out. Or our sleep cycles interrupted!
Thank you Colleen!! It is so funny that you mentioned the virgins and the oil…I was just thinking of that last night and pondered writing a post about that!! You may have just provided confirmation!!
Thank for this post I have been struggling with my sleep lately and never considered how this can affect me physically and spiritually! Definitely going to stick to a sleep pattern.
I am so glad you found it helpful!! Sleep definitely does affect everything doesn’t it!?
I am also a light sleeper–sleep deprivation is such a downer.
It helps me to remind myself when I’m sleep deprived that I’m not seeing things clearly. It takes extra grace, but God has plenty.
Amen! Yes He does!! Thank you Michele!!
I’m also a light sleeper! I can’t even let our cats sleep in our room anymore. I love the picture of watchmen for our hearts. When I’m exhausted it spills negatively into all parts of my life, and I’ve got to change that.
I’ve always admired how Jesus healed people all day, fed 5000, spent time in prayer mourning his cousin, walked on water, then healed the next day too! He must have been tired to the bone, but he’s isn’t get grumpy like I tend to, he served and he loved.
Yes and that is a great point…He prayed and served no matter how tired He was. The enemy also tried to use hunger and exhaustion to tempt Him! Great examples for us to follow and goes along with setting a guard…pray and speak the Word just like He did!! Thank you for that!!
I love this and needed this today. Thank you for posting.
Thank you Stephanie! I am happy it encouraged you!!
Thank you!! I think you are right..it may come with age. I never had this problem before when I was younger!!
Depression is a real side effect when you feel like you can’t keep up with life. Giving it to God and setting a watchman is definitely a great strategy. Putting on the armor of God is the way to set a watchman.
Amen Julie!! So true!!
Yes! Great post…I’ve been focusing lately on being intentional about what I am thinking about. “Guarding my mind.”
Thank you Sharla!! It is so important for us to do yet I know it is one thing I often forget!
Thanks for the great post Diane. I’m glad you went into the Hebrew as well. I completely relate to thinking of everything I can possibly think of at night. My mind seems to be permanently active and has trouble switching off. I think for people like that, where we can allow our thoughts to run rampant, it’s especially important to guard our minds and hearts. I know that I can go down a certain path of thinking about something in a particular way, which then allows the enemy to play on those fears or feelings. It’s really easy for him… Read more »
Thank you Robert!! Yes!!! I know for me, having anxiety makes it tough when I get into thinking at night because I tend to worry about things that typically never happen!! The enemy loves to use those times!!
This is a valuable warning for me in my life right now. laurensparks.net
I am glad you found it helpful Lauren!
Mercy, it is SO TRUE! Coming up with a protection plan AFTER the attack only gets us so far — and we’re always playing catch up. It would be MUCH better if we would think about how to guard our hearts and minds BEFORE Satan decides we’re vulnerable, but we so often think we’re good, that nothing could shake us badly enough to have us questioning our faith. And yet, it does. Something happens that we could never have anticipated, and it brings us to the end of ourselves. Thanks for this reminder, Diane!
Thank you Laura!! I agree!! I think sometimes for me, I get to thinking I need to pray for everyone else and I know other people cover me that I forget I still need to make sure I cover myself!!
You are a trooper for allowing the dogs in your room. I too am a light sleeper. I don’t usually sleep with our dogs, but when we travel, I do. We had one that moves all night long. One night every time she moved I thought she had to go to the bathroom. I was up all night long. One time I was so tired I went out in my pj’s missed the curb, and there I was in the hotel parking lot flat on my back in pj’s I might add grumbling. Next time I travel with them, I… Read more »
Oh no!!! I definitely feel your pain (literally)…one of mine is 13 years old and basically blind so I seem to get hurt every time I take him out at night…which thanks to my husband isn’t often!! Yes, we let them sleep in our room because they would be at the door all night if we didn’t! They are both rescues so they are a little needy and they are both 13 so they are old now. But if we ever get more dogs when these guys leave us they will NOT be in our room LOL
I love this! It is so important to be alert and pray before we are spent. I have felt convicted in this area with praying for protection for my family and me lately too, as we watch everything break all around us!
Are you developing What you pray as a watchman. I’d love to read that too!
It is VERY important..its funny how we can easily pray for others but we often forget ourselves!!
I am also a light sleeper and get easily frustrated when I don’t get the sleep I need. I find the enemy strikes the hardest on church days or bible study days. Its so important to know that those are from the devil and fight the thoughts of staying home.
Yes!! Amen!!!
Oh I needed this reminder! I have definitely been letting my guard down lately and need to re-focus my heart on Jesus.
I am so glad you found it encouraging Bailey!! We focus so much on others at times, we can easily forget to make sure WE are protected!
Preaching to my heart tonight with this post! Visiting from Lori Schumaker’s link party and so glad I stopped by. Thank you.
Thank you so much and I’m so glad you stopped by!