And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
—Ephesians 6:18
It’s the middle of the night. The phone isn't ringing. Darkness fills the room. Children are nestled in their beds. All is quiet. So, why am I still awake?
Frustrated. Exhausted. I must turn off my thoughts. But my mind continues replaying the conversations and events of the day as well as the things I need to do tomorrow.
Why am I still awake? “Come on, fall asleep,” I tell myself. My busy days require so much energy. Anger kindles. I can't go through the day with only a few hours of sleep.
Why am I still awake? All of a sudden, a thought flashes through my mind, “Is the Holy Spirit giving me a wake-up call to pray?” In no time flat, a friend’s circumstances flash through my mind. At the same time, I recall Ephesians 6:18, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Prayers ignite. This tender moment with the Holy Spirit changed my life forever. Why? Because this experience taught me to be alert and prepared to stand in the gap for others at any moment. Oh, the intimacy of a personal relationship with Jesus continues to bring me to my knees!
The Old Testament is filled with spiritual wake‐up calls. For example, God warned the Israelites of the destruction ahead of them if they didn’t change their hearts and repent. Many times God used prophets to proclaim His message. For example, Jeremiah 1:5 where God comes to Jeremiah and says, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before your were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
God called Jeremiah to be His voice as a warning to the Israelites about God’s judgment upon His people and the coming destruction of the land. Over and over Jeremiah warned the Israelites to turn from their wicked ways.
We see God’s warnings all around us. They are directed not only to us personally, but to our nation. The moral decay in America continues to spread. God is sending His wake‐up calls all around us. We must pray for our nation to turn back to Jesus.
PRAYER CHALLENGE
The next time you wake up in the middle of the night, ask the Holy Spirit to place a person or a situation on your heart. Pray right then. You might be the only one God calls to stand in the gap.
