What does God do with all of our prayers? Incense is mixed with the prayers of all saints to be offered to God. Christ as our Mediator mixes the incense of His “intercession for” (Hebrews 7:25 KJV) us with our prayers, then it is cast to the earth to achieve the formidable judgments of the apocalypse. Our prayers are not like lost letters at the post office. With the Spirit of Christ’s “intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26), our prayers drive His judgments upon the earth. “3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:3-5). Father, may we not underestimate You or the efficacy of our prayers, when You add to it the incense of Your Son’s intercession for us. May we stand by You in agreement with Your actions in the judgment of the earth. Return quickly, in Jesus name. Amen.
Author: Ken
Are You Fighting A No Win War?
We cannot be fighting a no win war, if ultimately the devil will be “cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:10 KJV), and even “death and hell” (20:14) will meet the same fate. Yes, we are at war, since the enemy of my Friend is my enemy. Satan is the enemy of God, so we are at war, because Yahweh is our Friend. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1Peter 5:8). Daily victory for our LORD’s side is confidence or faith in God’s character. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1John 5:4). We need the mindset of Spiritual Warfare against our adversary the devil. “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world” (1Peter 5:9). LORD, grant us victory day by day until all Your prophecies are fulfilled and You return. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Silence in Heaven (Revelation 8:1)
Heaven must normally be alive with sound and worship, but when the Lamb “opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Revelation 8:1 KJV). Everyone’s rapt attention will be centered upon the sounding of the ensuing Seven Trumpet Judgments, which will be punctuated by the Seven Vial or Bowl Judgments at the end of the Tribulation Week. The judgments of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (Daniel 9:27) are a progression of Seven Seal Judgments opening, where the Seventh Seal Judgment opens to reveal Seven Trumpet Judgments, where the Seventh Trumpet Judgment sounds to open the Seven Vial or Bowl Judgments. You are blessed, if you can discern this pattern of God unfolding His judgments upon the earth, which is better than a poor dog running around in fear and confusion, when the fireworks go off on the Fourth of July. If all of the attention of Heaven is upon this, then their holy anticipation is worthy of our prayer, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 KJV). Amen and amen.
Harming the Innocents
Since humanity’s original transgression in the Garden, a cascading effect of consequences has unavoidably been unleashed upon the children of our founding parents. Jesus said, “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!” (Luke 17:1 KJV). Children are those innocents, which Christ warned, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). Children won’t believe in Jesus unless taught by their parents. Children of the righteous are especially targets of opportunity and persons of interest to the enemy, for they are the future of either the kingdom of God or the wicked one. Guarding and training our children with God’s promises helps to prepare them for their future. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). LORD, be merciful to Your children by giving to them wise parents and overcoming circumstances to populate Your kingdom. Return quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Persecution Grows the Church (Revelation 7:9)
Saul of Tarsus (the future Apostle Paul) was the berserker, who wreaked havoc on the Early Church, but the churches “were multiplied” (Acts 9:31 KJV); nonetheless, because persecution grew the Church. Likewise, a “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9 KJV) will respond to the Gospel witnessed by the 144,000. That multitude will be those martyred by antichrist. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). A seeming paradox is the blood of Christian martyrs grows the Church. Tertullian (155-240 AD) defended the Christian faith before the governors of the Roman Empire. He said, “The oftener we are mown down by you, the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed” (The Apology, 50.13). Though the Vanity Fair approach has been enormously successful in limiting Spiritual Christianity, even such measures will become unnecessary during the final end game of the Tribulation Week. LORD, grant unto Your children the patience of faith of Christ, Stephen, Antipas, and Your Two Witnesses that we may, too, witness a good confession for You, even unto death. In Jesus’ name, we ask it. Amen.
God Votes His Conscience
Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever” (Daniel 2:4 KJV) is probably as close to “Abraham Lincoln for President” (1864) as OT political slogans go. Should Christians take sides in political contests? Especially in political democracies, Christians may be divided on political issues much as they may differ on matters of church doctrine and polity. For the sake of the Body of Christ, Christians should especially seek solidarity with Christians. Paul advocated Christians to allow themselves to be defrauded rather than taking a brother or sister to a secular, civil court to gain justice (1Corinthians 6:1-7). Participation in politics lends itself to the acrimony of manipulation and maneuvering for advantage well known to survival of the fittest earth dwellers. Can a candidate be known as a seeker of the common good? Was the expression, Honest Abe, only apocryphal? Joseph, Naaman the Syrian general, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Esther, Mordecai, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Cornelius the Roman centurion saw a measure of godly leadership in secular government. “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it” (1Peter 3:10-11 ESV). Our God will enthrone whomsoever He will to accomplish His purposes; and consistent with this, He simply demands on our part an honest hearted faithfulness of voting our conscience. LORD, You are the Judge of our hearts. Establish truth seekers and truth speakers in the land. Cause us to vote our conscience, and to be accountable to You, since our loyalties belong to You. O Lord, return quickly, in Jesus’ name. Amen. “Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him” (Psalm 140:11 KJV).
Alone, Yet Not Alone
We are not without God. There is no circumstance, where God’s children can be without the presence of God. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4 KJV). When we are walking with the LORD, we can be assured, “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot” (Psalm 16:5). We may not know how to organize our way out of our circumstances, but God is able to “make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13).
The following, Alone, Yet Not Alone, was a hymn sung by Joni Eareckson Tada, from the movie of the same name (2013) about the 18th century captivity of Barbara and Regina Leninger, who were taken by the Lenape (Delaware) Indians from the wilderness of western Pennsylvania. The hymn was sung to them as children and was used to verify Regina’s identity, when restored to her mother.
I’m alone, yet not alone
God’s the light that will guide me home
With His love and tenderness
Leading through the wilderness
And wherever I may roam
I’m alone, yet not alone
I will not be bent in fear
He’s the refuge I know is near
In His strength I find my own
By His faithful mercies shown
That so mighty is His shield
All His love is now revealed
When my steps are lost
And desperate for a guide
I can feel his touch
A soothing presence by my side
Alone, yet not alone
Not forsaken when on my own
I can lean upon His arm
And be lifted up from harm
If I stumble, or if I’m thrown
I’m alone, yet not alone
When my steps are lost
And desperate for a guide
I can feel his touch
A soothing presence by my side
By my side!
He has bound me with His love
Watchful angels look from above
Every evil can be braved
For I know I will be saved
Never frightened on my own
I’m alone, yet not alone
Father, You alone are our certainty. Keep our hearts with the confidence of Your presence. Rebuke the devourer who seeks to separate us from You. Be our Strong Tower for all those, who put their confidence in You. And, return quickly and deliver us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
144,000 Israelites Are Sealed (Revelation 7:3)
Revelation 7 depicts an unearthly calming of the “four winds of the earth” (Revelation 7:1 KJV) in order to seal 144,000 “servants of our God in their foreheads” (7:3). These Jewish Tribulation Believers later appear in Heaven towards the latter part of the Tribulation Week (14:1), apparently unscathed and are living testament to the grace of God even in times of “great tribulation” (7:14). These represent a continuation of Jehovah’s harvest of Israel, in keeping with Paul’s desire and prayer. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved” (Romans 10:1). The LORD’s reclamation of Israel will climax with the spiritual rebirth of the nation at the Second Coming of Christ. “Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children” (Isaiah 66:8). LORD, we love Israel, not because of their rejection of You, but because You have chose them with an everlasting love. Redeem the 144,000. Save Israel. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Heart Opened By God
God opens hearts. “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul” (Acts 16:14 KJV). We may not know the intricacies of your particular situation, but God opening a human heart — including our own — is able to transform any situation. We need to give God the opportunity to do what He is capable of doing. When our hearts are in a good place, He can teach us. “Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:45). We may prefer a more dramatic miracle, but a heart opened to the LORD can accomplish all that is needed. We were made to walk with God and obey Him. Father, may Your Spirit fill us and reveal to us Jesus that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Do all of this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Great Earthquake (Revelation 6:12)
The sixth seal judgment of the Book of Revelation is a “great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood” (Revelation 6:12 KJV). This is an apocalyptic shaking of the entire earth. Here, interpreting the “stars of heaven [that] fell unto the earth” (6:13 KJV) as Fallen Angels (compare Job 38:7) prepares for the Mid-Tribulational worship of Antichrist as God at the Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14; 2Thessalonians 2:8). We live what we believe, and what we believe about prophecy affects our decisions today. If apocalyptic shaking of the planet and strange displays in the cosmos are scheduled for the future, then we should be more concerned about our heart’s interaction with God. After all, that alone we control. LORD, may all our understanding of Your judgments cause us to walk righteously before You, and cause us to warn others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
We Need A Miracle 
You must be logged in to post a comment.