41 Bible Verses about Watchfulness, Of Believers

Curb every passion, and be on the alert. Your great accuser, the Devil, is going about like a roaring lion to see whom he can devour.

"Beware of the false teachers--men who come to you in sheep's fleeces, but beneath that disguise they are ravenous wolves.

"Take care that no one misleads you," answered Jesus; "for many will come assuming my name and saying 'I am the Christ;' and they will mislead many.

and when He admonished them, "See to it, be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod,"

But I beseech you, brethren, to keep a watch on those who are causing the divisions among you, and are leading others into sin, in defiance of the instruction which you have received; and habitually to shun them.

Be on the alert; stand firm in the faith; acquit yourselves like men; be strong.

Keep awake, and pray that you may not enter into temptation: the spirit is right willing, but the body is frail."

Be wakeful, all of you, and keep on praying, that you may not come into temptation: the spirit is right willing, but the body is frail."

And to the people He said, "Take care, be on your guard against all covetousness, for no one's life consists in the superabundance of his possessions."

Jesus said to His disciples, "It is inevitable that causes of stumbling should come; but alas for him through whom they come! It would be well for him if, with a millstone round his neck, he were lying at the bottom of the sea, rather than that he should cause even one of these little ones to fall. Be on your guard. "If your brother acts wrongly, reprove him; and if he is sorry, forgive him;

So then let him who thinks he is standing securely beware of falling.

Brethren, if anybody be detected in any misconduct, you who are spiritual should restore such a one in a spirit of meekness. And let each of you keep watch over himself, lest he also fall into temptation.

For this reason we ought to pay the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, for fear we should drift away from them.

Be careful not to refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they of old did not escape unpunished when they refused to listen to him who spoke on earth, much less shall we escape who turn a deaf ear to Him who now speaks from Heaven.

And in the written word of prophecy we have something more permanent; to which you do well to pay attention--as to a lamp shining in a dimly-lighted place--until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

If a man thinks that he is scrupulously religious, although he is not curbing his tongue but is deceiving himself, his religious service is worthless.

In the same way the tongue is an insignificant part of the body, but it is immensely boastful. Remember how a mere spark may set a vast forest in flames. And the tongue is a fire. That world of iniquity, the tongue, is placed within us spotting and soiling our whole nature, and setting the whole round of our lives on fire, being itself set on fire by Gehenna. For brute nature under all its forms--beasts and birds, reptiles and fishes--can be subjected and kept in subjection by human nature.read more.
But the tongue no man or woman is able to tame. It is an ever-busy mischief, and is full of deadly poison.

For "He who wishes to be well-satisfied with life and see happy days-- let him restrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from deceitful words;

Now there was a man in Jerusalem of the name of Symeon, an upright and God-fearing man, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

Be earnest and unwearied in prayer, being on the alert in it and in your giving of thanks. And pray at the same time for us also, that God may open for us a door for preaching, for us to tell the truth concerning Christ for the sake of which I am even a prisoner.

Take care, be on the alert, and pray; for you do not know when it will happen.

But beware of slumbering; and every moment pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape from all these coming evils, and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

Pray with unceasing prayer and entreaty on every fitting occasion in the Spirit, and be always on the alert to seize opportunities for doing so, with unwearied persistence and entreaty on behalf of all God's people,

But the end of all things is now close at hand: therefore be sober-minded and temperate, so that you may give yourselves to prayer.

Be on the alert therefore, for you do not know the day on which your Lord is coming. But of this be assured, that if the master of the house had known the hour at which the robber was coming, he would have kept awake, and not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready; for it is at a time when you do not expect Him that the Son of Man will come.

"Then will the Kingdom of the Heavens be found to be like ten bridesmaids who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. For the foolish, when they took their torches, did not provide themselves with oil;read more.
but the wise, besides their torches, took oil in their flasks. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, so that meanwhile they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there is a loud cry, "'The bridegroom! Go out and meet him!' "Then all those bridesmaids roused themselves and trimmed their torches. "'Give us some of your oil,' said the foolish ones to the wise, 'for our torches are going out.' "'But perhaps,' replied the wise, 'there will not be enough for all of us. Go to the shops rather, and buy some for yourselves.' "So they went to buy. But meanwhile the bridegroom came; those bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. "Afterwards the other bridesmaids came and cried, "'Sir, Sir, open the door to us.' "'In solemn truth I tell you,' he replied, 'I do not know you.' "Keep awake therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour.

"But as to that day or the exact time no one knows--not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Take care, be on the alert, and pray; for you do not know when it will happen. It is like a man living abroad who has left his house, and given the management to his servants--to each one his special duty--and has ordered the porter to keep awake.read more.
Be wakeful therefore, for you know not when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at cock-crow, or at dawn. Beware lest He should arrive unexpectedly and find you asleep. Moreover, what I say to you I say to all--Be wakeful!"

"Have your girdles on, and let your lamps be alight; and be yourselves like men waiting for their master--on the look-out till he shall return from the wedding feast--that, when he comes and knocks, they may open the door instantly. Blessed are those servants, whom their Master when He comes shall find on the watch. I tell you in solemn truth, that He will tie an apron round Him, and will bid them recline at table while He comes and waits on them.read more.
And whether it be in the second watch or in the third that He comes and finds them so, blessed are they. Of this be sure, that if the master of the house had known what time the robber was coming, he would have kept awake and not have allowed his house to be broken into. Be you also ready, for at an hour when you are not expecting Him the Son of Man will come."

I tell you in solemn truth that the present generation will certainly not pass away without all these things having first taken place. Earth and sky will pass away, but it is certain that my words will not pass away. "But take heed to yourselves, lest your souls be weighed down with self-indulgence and drunkenness or the anxieties of this life, and that day come upon you, suddenly, like a falling trap;read more.
for it will come on all dwellers on the face of the whole earth. But beware of slumbering; and every moment pray that you may be fully strengthened to escape from all these coming evils, and to take your stand in the presence of the Son of Man."

But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that daylight should surprise you like a thief; for all of you are sons of Light and sons of the day. We belong neither to the night nor to darkness. So then let us not sleep, like the rest of the world, but let us keep awake and be sober.read more.
For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who drink freely, drink at night. But let us, belonging--as we do--to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

("I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the man who keeps awake and guards his raiment for fear he walk about ill-clad, and his uncomeliness become manifest.")

but in your hearts consecrate Christ as Lord, being always ready to make your defence to any one who asks from you a reason for the hope which you cherish.

Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise. Buy up your opportunities, for these are evil times.

Behave wisely in relation to the outside world, buying up your opportunities. Let your language be always seasoned with the salt of grace, so that you may know how to give every man a fitting answer.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane. And He said to the disciples, "Sit down here, whilst I go yonder and there pray." And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zabdi. Then He began to be full of anguish and distress, and He said to them, "My soul is crushed with anguish to the very point of death; wait here, and keep awake with me."read more.
Going forward a short distance He fell on His face and prayed. "My Father," He said, "if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou willest." Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and He said to Peter, "Alas, none of you could keep awake with me for even a single hour!

So then, as we have opportunity, let us labour for the good of all, and especially of those who belong to the household of the faith.

Remind people that they must submit to the rulers who are in authority over them; that they must obey the magistrates, be prepared for every right action,

and from that moment he was on the look out for an opportunity to betray Him.

They closely watched Him to see whether He would cure him on the Sabbath--so as to have a charge to bring against Him.

but information of their intention was given to him. They even watched the gates, day and night, in order to murder him;

Rouse yourself and keep awake, and strengthen those things which remain but have well-nigh perished; for I have found no doings of yours free from imperfection in the sight of My God. Be mindful, therefore, of the lessons you have received and heard. Continually lay them to heart, and repent. If, however, you fail to rouse yourself and keep awake, I shall come upon you suddenly like a thief, and you will certainly not know the hour at which I shall come to judge you.