“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.”
The Prayer
Habakkuk has just finished an extended, honest complaint to God, questioning injustice and demanding to know why wickedness seems to go unaddressed. This verse marks his next move, not walking away in frustration when the answer does not come immediately, but deliberately positioning himself to watch, actively, for whatever response might come.
Notice the deliberate posture: stand upon my watch, set me upon the tower. This is not passive waiting, arms folded, hoping something eventually happens. It is active positioning, choosing a vantage point specifically suited to actually seeing and hearing whatever comes, the posture of a watchman genuinely attentive to his post, not merely present at it.
This foreshadows the movement this book is building toward. Watching in prayer is not merely quiet listening in a general sense. It is deliberate, attentive positioning, ready to actually receive whatever answer comes, however it comes, and ready also, as Habakkuk names here, to actually respond to what is heard, even correction.
Whatever unanswered complaint or question you are carrying into prayer today, follow Habakkuk’s example rather than simply walking away discouraged. Stand upon your watch. Position yourself to actually see and hear whatever response comes, trusting that watching, unlike walking away, actually positions you to receive it.
Watch and Pray
- Name an unanswered complaint or question you have brought to God recently.
- Position yourself today to actually watch for a response, rather than walking away.
- Prepare to actually respond to whatever comes, even if it includes correction.
Pray This
Lord, like Habakkuk, I will stand upon my watch and wait to see what you will say. Give me the readiness to actually hear it, and to respond, even to correction. Amen.
Carry this today
Watching is active positioning, not passive waiting.