One of the most important guideposts towards expansion is Watching and Praying which God uses to show His glory in the last days.  When the glory of the Lord is shown on earth, His Kingdom advances.

 

JIA is now a House of Prayer for the Nations through the established Lighthouse Prayer Chain or otherwise known as the 24HHP.  And as a church, we need to level up in our prayer life.  As the intercessors and prophets have been watching and interceding for the church, the Lord has been revealing recently that He is now pouring out a higher level of Anointing which He calls the Watchmen Anointing, a new wine He is pouring out. But this kind of anointing can only be received by the church who wears new wineskins. And the purpose of God pouring out this anointing is to bring His Kingdom here on earth for it to see His glory.

 

The Lord has shown me a vision of a train where a lot of people are still scattered all over the train station, some (very few of them) are inside the train.  The Lord is saying we need “to catch and get on the train” and not to be “left at the station” because the “train is already on the move”.  He wants us to flow with Him. And as God’s watchman in JIA, I’m sounding the alarm, “JIA, ALL ABOARD!”

 

Word of the Lord:  Isaiah 62:6-7 I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; They shall never hold their peace day or night.  You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent.  And give Him no rest till He establishes, and till He makes Jerusalem a glory in the earth.

 

This Watchman Anointing is one of those which the Lord is pouring out with His Spirit in the last days (Ref. Joel 2:28)

 

What is the Watchman Anointing?

  • It is the equipping of intercessors to be forewarned of and to pray against Satan’s schemes and plans (ref. Dutch Sheets, Regal books page 236).
  • It is also a call to His Children to be brought into a greater dependence on the Holy Spirit and to create more Spirit-led environments for prayer strategies to come forth.

Some related verses:

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…

 

1 Peter 5:8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

 

2 Corinthians 2:11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

 

Divine enablement of God to His Watchmen:

  • TO SEE – receive from God and understand His plan and purposes
  • TO HEAR – receive and hear instructions from God of what to do and how to partner with Him in accomplishing God’s purposes on earth
  • TO FEEL THE PRESENT SPIRITUAL CLIMATE ON THE AREAS ASSIGNED BY GOD TO THE WATCHMEN – battle through powerful intercession the fulfillment of Gods plans and purposes.

 

The function of a watchman is to watch and pray for:

  • The harvest fields
  • The Sheep/Body of Christ
  • The Church
  • The Pastors/Leaders of the Body of Christ
  • The City/Nation
  • Watchman is a keeper

 

Skills and gifts of a watchman:

  • Sharp gift of discernment in order to receive revelations and warnings of God
  • Gift of listening, with ears that are sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit
  • Love to worship God always; have the endurance and patience to wait and listen from the Lord
  • Disciplined and diligent in studying God’s Word
  • Love to sigh and cry for others, family, nation, and nations of the world and operate in love

Note:  the priority of a watchman is to know God, His ways, his Word and promises, His character and purposes.  It is vital to know the enemy and his tactics, but it should come secondary to knowing and worshipping God.  Worship and prayer help purify the vision of the watchman.

 

Strategic position of a watchman:

He will ascend to God’s throne in worship and strategically place himself in God’s plan and descend in war effectively battle in powerful intercession and partnering with God to work for the fulfillment of God’s purposes.

 

Therefore, a watchman knows what God wants to do at the present time.  A watchman understands the urgency of time and refuses to be silent for God’s will to happen.

 

Let us learn from the position of a watchman described in Habakkuk 2:1 I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the Lord says and how he will answer my complaint.

One of the ways to participate in the fulfillment of God’s plans in this season (i.e. expanding His Kingdom here on earth) is for JIA to catch the outpouring of His Spirit and one of the spirits that will fuel up this outpouring is the leveled up watchman anointing (Acts 2:17-18). This will enhance our spiritual senses so we can effectively watch and pray for the areas where the Lord would like us to expand His Kingdom. JIA will, therefore, do nothing unless we have seen and heard from the Lord.

 

Glory in the last days is when the Spirit of the Lord and His works become evident and well manifested here on earth.  Then, the church of God can expand His Kingdom.

 

JIA Community of Effective Watchmen should do the following:

  • Be open and stand at our posts, and attentively seek to listen to the Lord. In holy quietness and prayerful stillness, relax in the Holy Spirit. Stop talking and have peace and quietness before the Lord.
  • Be open to what the Lord is saying which might come in the form of a vision or emotions and thoughts from the Holy Spirit to the listening hearts.
  • Stay focused with eyes and hearts fixed on the Lord Jesus.
  • Write what you have seen and heard, make it plain, and share them to the gatekeepers.

God’s rewards for watchmen:

  • Those who prayed from a heart sick over the state of society were granted a mark that protected them from God’s judgment. God will honor this attitude.
    • Reference: Ezekiel 9:3-4 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.
  • God will make those who are watching spiritually ready. He will not be seen on their shame.
    • Reference: Revelations 16:15 “Look, I will come unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
  • Watchmen will see the Lord’s return and share His wedding feast with them.
    • References:
      • Isaiah 52:8 The watchmen shout and sing with joy, for before their very eyes they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem (NKJV)
      • Luke 12:37 Lucky the servants whom the master finds on watch! He’ll put on an apron, sit them at the table, and serve them a meal, sharing his wedding feast with them. It doesn’t matter what time of the night he arrives; they’re awake – and so blessed! (MSG)

Again, how will the watchmen ensure that the plans of the Lord for JIA will prevail?

  • We should ascend to God’s throne in worship. It is where watchmen can clearly hear from God and see the spiritual atmosphere in the heavens and on earth.
  • Then descend in war through powerful intercession, which is an effective battle.

 

God’s challenge for us:  Will you be willing to ascend to His throne daily, wait and listen upon the Lord’s revelations, and descend in powerful intercession to partner with Him in expanding His Kingdom as He brings His glory in the last of the last days?