Prayer Initiative : RevelationSample

There was silence in heaven. The singing, the glorifying, the praising, and the proclamation - all the sounds ceased. For about thirty minutes, after the Lamb opened the last seal of the scroll, all stood still. In the Jewish temple, musical instruments and singing resounded during the whole time of the offering of sacrifices, which formed the first part of the service. But at the offering of incense, solemn silence was kept. In the same manner, Revelation 8 describes this "moment of intense expectation, of awe at what God is about to do. A solemn recognition of God's holiness and righteous judgment" (Anthony Garland).

All the attention was directed to the golden altar in front of the throne. The altar was filled with fire. An angel with a golden censor came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God. Then the angel took the censer, filled with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. God's judgment began.

"More potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in the world, more powerful than anything else, is the power of prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth" (A.T. Torrance).

Take a moment to ponder on what you've read and respond to God in prayer.

PRAYER

• Pray for open doors for the Gospel. Did you know that Japan is the second largest Unreached People Group in the world? Shaikh of Bangladesh comes first. Ask God to break down spiritual and cultural strongholds in Bangladesh, and Japan, as well as in other Unreached People Groups in the world.
• Pray for spiritual openness and strong first and second-generation churches. Ask God to send more workers and equip local believers in ministry.