Daily Devotions
The Power of Prayer
Reading for December 14th: 2 Thessalonians 1-3
Weekly reading for December 13-19: Revelation 6-11
And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.
Revelation 8:3-5
It's easy to feel like your prayers aren't doing any good. I wonder if these suffering saints were feeling that way. They were faithful to the Lord, they had not denied his name, and yet they were experiencing intense persecution. They may have experienced doubt. Their prayer lives may have suffered.
That's why this book was so important. They needed to see God seated on his throne (Rev 4). They needed to hear the angelic hosts praising the victorious Lamb (Rev 5). They needed to know that their prayers were ascending before the Lamb like sweet smelling incense (Rev 5:8).They needed assurance that God was going to respond to the cries of the faithful martyrs (Rev 6:9-11). They needed to see that when their prayers rose before God, the result was "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake!" (Rev 8:5)
It may appear that your prayers aren't doing any good. The apostle John is assuring you that you are being heard. He's had a glimpse of what is behind the veil and is showing you that the One seated on the throne has not forgotten you and that he is more than powerful enough to respond to your needs!
Father, thank you for the privilege of approaching your throne of mercy to find help and grace in time of need. Thank you for the Lamb who gives us this right!
