Bible Reading: Ezekiel 38-39; 1 Peter 4
“But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober and watch unto prayer.” 1 Peter 4:7 (KJV)
In our focal scripture of today Apostle Peter admonishes us on what we should be doing at this time when the end of all things draws near. Why was Apostle Peter insisting that we should be sober and watch unto prayer? This is so because the bible spoke of the events preceding the end of all things as evil and perilous. Hear what the bible said in Ephesians 5:16(KJV) “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Being sober and watching unto prayer is part of redeeming the time.
The bible further presents a vivid picture of nefarious activities and terrible character of persons associated with the end time. The bible calls it perilous times with a high level of moral decadence and abundance of negative and degenerated minds. “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” 2 Timothy 3:1(KJV). It is perilous indeed due to the dominance of debased and reprobate minds (please read 1 Timothy 4:1-3 and 2 Timothy 3:1-8). These are the many reason why Apostle Peter strongly admonished us to be sober and watch unto prayer. It is indeed the time to be given to committed prayers and sobriety.
We must of a necessity begin to get very committed in prayer and be mindful of events as they unfold. The Master Himself warned us in Mark 13:33(KJV), “Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is”. Before now nobody would have believed that people will be compelled to be vaccinated. Covid-19 pandemic looks like Satan’s test run of the imposition of the soon coming mark of the beast. Something must lead to something, so we must begin to be at alert and sensitive to our environment. We need prayers that will strengthen us as we navigate through this hazardous times. A time of calamity and woes. A time when men’s ear will not be ready to hear sound moral teaching. It is a period of extreme wantonness.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that the end of all things is near. He was only reiterating what our Lord Jesus Christ has earlier stated during His earthly ministry- that the end is near. Irrespective of the dissenting voice of the naysayers to this eternal truth, the apostle reaffirms the truth of this reality. The end is near. Don’t get entangled with frivolities, the end is near. We are at the times of the end; we must not forget that. We cannot join the world in her reveling. These words are spoken to us so that we may know the truth.
Our response to this knowledge of the impending end is also communicated to us by the apostle. It is not sufficient to believe these words, we must respond accordingly and the response is to be sober and to watch unto prayer! The knowledge of the end of this world as we know it should drive us to sobriety. We must as well be driven to prayer. Now more than the times of the apostles, we must be given to prayer.
We need to pray more for our souls that the devil that goes around as a roaring Lion does not find us vulnerable, that our brothers and sisters in the faith are kept safe until His appearing. And that the Lord sends more labourers into his vineyard. We have much to pray about. We cannot survive these times if we are not sober and given to prayer. Today, we must reset the state of our hearts, we must begin the end time work of prayer.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for this reminder. Please, help me to be sober and cause my heart to tarry in the place of prayer. Let me not be quick to run out of prayer in Jesus Christ name.
Pastor Joel Ezeugo