I have doing a bit of thinking about Revelation lately and have discovered that it is an incredibly practical book. My next few thoughts will be from the book of Revelation, God willing. However, I haven’t been emailing them all out, but have been posting thoughts on each chapter of Revelation on the Thinky Things website at https://thinkythings.com/read/, or click the “read” button below. Enjoy, and be blessed by this amazing book.

Revelation 8 v 3 – 5
WHAT HAPPENS TO PRAYER?

For years and years people have been praying for the return of Jesus and for all the wickedness in the world to be put to an end by the grace of God. Prayer after prayer has gone up to heaven, and yet we are still here, praying the same prayers, afflicted by the same sin and evil that are all around us, and nothing seems to have changed. Are our prayers being heard? Are we wasting our time?

The status of our prayers are described in graphic detail in Revelation. “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” (Revelation 8 v 3 – 4).

From this we can be reassured that our prayers are heard by God and that he loves listening to them. But despite the fact that he listens, is he doing anything about it? The next verse tells us the answer. “Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” (v 5).

At some time in our near future, our combined prayers will be taken and answered all at once. Let’s keep praying and fill heaven with the incense of prayer, and the wickedness of the earth with God’s righteous judgement.

May we be encouraged as we continue reading the book of Revelation this week.

With love in our Lord
Robert
https://thinkythings.com/read/