Watchfulness

Watchfulness is staying alert and sober in prayer, against temptation, and in readiness for the Lord's return. This page lists verses on watching and praying, being sober and vigilant, taking heed to oneself, watching for the Lord's coming, and watchmen.

Watch and pray

• Matthew 26:41
  Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.“Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
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• Colossians 4:2
  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful,
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• Ephesians 6:18
  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.
  Show context · Read Ephesians 6 →
• Luke 21:36
  Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.So keep watch at all times, and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.”
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• 1 Peter 4:7
  But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and sober, so that you can pray.
  Show context · Read 1 Peter 4 →
• Nehemiah 4:9
  Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.So we prayed to our God and posted a guard against them day and night.
  Show context · Read Nehemiah 4 →

Sober and vigilant

• 1 Peter 5:8
  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
  Show context · Read 1 Peter 5 →
• 1 Thessalonians 5:6
  Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.So then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain awake and sober.
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• 1 Corinthians 16:13
  Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.Be on the alert. Stand firm in the faith. Be men of courage. Be strong.
  Show context · Read 1 Corinthians 16 →
• 2 Timothy 4:5
  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
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Take heed to yourselves

• Proverbs 4:23
  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
  Show context · Read Proverbs 4 →
• Deuteronomy 4:9
  Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.
  Show context · Read Deuteronomy 4 →
• Luke 21:34
  And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
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• Hebrews 3:12
  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
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• 1 Timothy 4:16
  Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
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• Psalm 141:3
  Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
  Show context · Read Psalm 141 →
• 1 Corinthians 10:12
  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.
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Watching for the Lord's coming

• Matthew 24:42-44
  ⁴²Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day on which your Lord will come. ⁴³But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.But understand this: If the homeowner had known in which watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁴Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.For this reason, you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
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• Matthew 25:13
  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
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• Mark 13:33-37
  ³³Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.Be on your guard and stay alert! For you do not know when the appointed time will come. ³⁴For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. ³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return—whether in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning. ³⁶Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping. ³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”
  Show context · Read Mark 13 →
• Luke 12:35-37
  ³⁵Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. ³⁶And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once. ³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.Blessed are those servants whom the master finds on watch when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve and will have them recline at the table, and he himself will come and wait on them.
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• Revelation 3:3
  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.Remember, then, what you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know the hour when I will come upon you.
  Show context · Read Revelation 3 →
• Revelation 16:15
  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
  Show context · Read Revelation 16 →

Watchmen

• Ezekiel 3:17
  Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, give them a warning from Me.
  Show context · Read Ezekiel 3 →
• Ezekiel 33:6
  But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’
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• Isaiah 62:6
  I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence,On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD shall take no rest for yourselves,
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• Habakkuk 2:1
  I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.
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• Hebrews 13:17
  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.
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• Acts 20:28-31
  ²⁸Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. ³⁰Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them. ³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
  Show context · Read Acts 20 →

See also

• Prayer
• Temptation
• Second Coming
• Spiritual warfare
• Self-control
• Steadfastness

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.