Watch and Pray
When an urge arises…
Though we may try to remove all triggers from our lives, desires to act out our habits will still come up. This is actually not a bad thing. Each time an urge arises, it is an opportunity for us to let go of the mind pattern that has held us captive.
Jesus repeatedly told his disciples to “watch and pray” in order to overcome temptation.
Since this was Jesus’ way of overcoming temptation, let’s take a moment to look deeply into what He meant. Some passages from scripture can help us discern what Jesus is pointing to:
“Ye must watch and pray always lest ye enter into temptation…” (3 Nephi 18:18).
Obviously Jesus is not asking us to always be saying a prayer out loud, or even always mentally reciting a prayer. That would keep us from fully engaging in our lives. So it may be helpful to look at prayer not just as an action, but also as a state we can inhabit.
Has there ever been a time in your life when you were in a state of prayer, even though you weren’t overtly praying? Perhaps it was a high pressure or difficult situation. Have you ever felt extra help as a result of the state of prayer your were in? If you thought of an example, maybe take a moment to ponder how your inner state was different during that experience. By entering and maintaining such a state, we are praying always.
In another scripture, Alma calls his people to…
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear.”
Notice the connection here between watching and praying continually and not being “tempted above that which ye can bear.”
Isn’t that what we all want, to never be overcome by something we may later regret? Learning to “watch and pray” is key.
Alma points out that the result is that we will become “humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love, and of all long-suffering” (Alma 13:28). Learning to watch and pray will transform us into Christ-like beings.
When Jesus spoke of “watching” he often referred to watching ourselves inwardly. Similarly, King Benjamin said, “Watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds” (Mosiah 4:30).
This means turning from a focus on the outside world, and taking a look at your inside world.
This can be hard to conceptualize initially. In the following video, I’ll share one of my favorite stories about a student who misunderstood the concept of “watching” inwardly, and how watching can change things when we start the practice for ourselves.
In the next lesson, we’ll learn how to convert these experiences into positive momentum that can carry us into fully overcoming our harmful habits.
“I no longer shame or hate myself for my [habit] and that makes it so much easier to overcome it!”
-Anonymous