“Not ON My Watch” The Price to Pay as a Praying Mother

The role of the watchman is to guard, stay vigilant, to look out for intruders, to protect, patrol and report suspicious activity. In the Bible there is a story in 2nd Samuel 21: 10-13 about an overlooked woman, Rizpah. Though not a seemingly notorious woman of scripture, Rizpah illustrates vividly what it means for mothers to watch in prayer for their children. Due to a bargain made by King David, Rizpah lost the two sons she bore for Saul. What this mother did for her dead sons is what every woman must do in prayer for their living children.

The scripture said that the King took her sons. He didn’t ask her permission. He took. not just one, he took two. Understand that taking these boys from Rizpah meant that she would not see them breathe again. Not only did they take her sons, they took her security, and strangled her hopes of elevating her value as a woman. Remember, Rizpah was Saul’s concubine. In our day she would have been a “side thing”, the spare tire. In other words, she was good for sex but not “worthy” of being a wife. With Saul dead, Rizpah’s sons would be her providers, they would be her protector, but that all changed, when her sons were taken. Mothers, it takes one phone call, one knock on the door, one doctor’s report about your child to leave your world in chaos.

Rizpah’s sons were hanged on a hill and their bodies left shamelessly to decompose in the open wild, but Rizpah, a single, fearless mother desired better for her sons. She moved to their death site and despite the stench, and unpredictable weather conditions, she watched her dead sons’ bodies for six months, disallowing wild beasts from eating the decaying flesh of her sons. This is a clear picture of what it means when we say “Not On My Watch”.

The scripture says that Rizpah took sackcloth and spread it upon a rock. She established a fixed place from which she would guard her sons’ bodies. Mothers, in paying the price to pray for your children:

1. We have to be intentional.

We must set aside time to pray for our children. Our confidence must be established and grounded on the solid immovable truths of scripture regarding prayer. In spite of what you see manifesting in your children’s lives, anchor your hope in the Word of God and prayer. Many promises are written to give us confidence when we pray (1st John 5: 14, Acts 7:7, 1st Thessalonians 5:17, Philippians 4:6)

 2. Don’t give the burden to pray for your children to anyone, you bear it.

There was no one out there in the wild with Rizpah. It was her alone and God. Intercession can be a lonely place. It is no place for the spotlight and not a place for cheerleaders. Be prepared to go the journey alone when it comes to praying persistently and consistently for your children. It is your child. If you don’t pray for your child then who must.

 3. Pray the Promises and the Provisions of God.

The Word of God, is where we find the direction, conditions and answers for prayer. There is a reason why Paul called the Word of God, “the Sword of the Spirit”, because watchmen need artillery. A watchman on duty with a club or a stick is no match for a burglar with a gun.  Intercession is warfare territory and as mothers we must be fully armed with the sword to defeat the lies, fears, imaginations and accusations that Satan brings to our mind about our children. When we know the promises, then we can pray strategically. Find the promise in the Word for the problem(s) in your child’s life. Instead of spending time telling God about the problem, tell Him about His promise(s). It is God’s Word that is settled in Heaven (Psalm 119:89), and it is that Word that releases faith.

 4. Never stop praying for your children.

Watchmen are on duty because intruders, thieves, and criminals do not retire. The scripture said Rizpah suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day or night. I liken Satan to the birds who were constantly seeking to devour the flesh of those boys. He is consistently and aggressively seeking to devour our children, so as watchmen, we have to do as 1st Thessalonians 5:17 says “pray without ceasing”. Say devil “you will not devour my children, not on my watch”.

No matter what time of day it is, you can call on God. Don’t wait for a crisis to pray. Establish an altar of prayer in your home to regularly and consistently pray for your children. It doesn’t matter how final the situation looks. In Acts 12:5 we learn that it was the day before Peter was due to be executed when the church offered up constant prayer to God on Peter’s behalf and that same night God sent an angel and delivered Peter out of prison. Don’t put a full stop where God has a comma. You never know how your child’s situation will turn out. Your role is to pray without ceasing.

 5. Remember that God still answers prayer (1st John 5:14-15, Matthew 7:7, James 5:16).

The news of Rizpah’s vigil for her sons eventually reached the ears of King David. King David then sent for the bones of Saul and his seven sons including Rizpah’s two sons and placed them in a proper burial site. It took King David six months to respond to Rizpah. What if Rizpah had given up because it looked senseless, as if nothing was changing? What if she became tired and lost hope? Unanswered prayers can be discouraging but don’t give in to weariness and despair. Your child is depending on you. Keep watching and keep praying. Pray until something happens. God’s timing does not always agree with our clock. Wait for Him, no matter how difficult the need is.

As mothers, we don’t endure nine months of pregnancy, long painful hours of labor to just hand our children over to the weapons of the enemy. It shouldn’t happen, not on your watch. Jesus calls us to watch and pray. Observe what is happening in your children’s lives, counsel them to follow the principles of scripture and show them the ways of God. Renew your commitment today to pray consistently for your children. It is a hefty price to pay but one that will be worth it.