The Prayer of the Saints (Rev. 8:3–5)

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

So there’s a lot going on here that requires a lot of discussion—and even some disagreement among different followers of Jesus, Bible-believing followers of Jesus, who understand some of the timing and events that are happening here in Revelation a little differently.

But these verses are a powerful picture of the effect of prayer—and specifically our prayers, your prayers. The takeaway that’s clear here in Revelation 8 is that it’s the prayers of the saints that are rising like incense before God, and it’s in response to those prayers that God sends these peals of thunder and rumblings and flashes of lightning and earthquake—and all that flows after that in Revelation 8. It all happens in response to prayer.

So I just want to encourage you today to not underestimate the effects of your prayers. God is making clear here in Revelation chapter 8 that it’s the prayers of his people that will bring about all that’s happening here in Revelation. And it’s the prayers of his people today that God has chosen—and this is so mysterious in his sovereignty. Obviously, God can do whatever he wants at any time he wants. God will accomplish his will. But that causes some people to say, “Well, then why pray?”

But the beauty is God wills for our prayers to be the means by which he works in the world. Let me say that again and just let it soak in: God wills for your prayers to be the means by which he works in the world.

So your prayers matter. As you pray, God acts. That’s the testimony of Revelation chapter 8.

And you might think, “Well, I’ve prayed for things that God’s not acted on.” Well, praise God for that, because you don’t have all wisdom. I don’t have all wisdom. It’s good that we don’t get everything we ask for. It’s certainly good—when I think about my kids—that they don’t get everything they ask for.

So when we pray, we can trust God is all-wise and he’s all-powerful. He’s all-loving. He’s always going to operate out of that character. And so we can trust him as we pray to him and we ask of him.

Just think about the way Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” There’s not one time you pray that prayer in vain, because you know that’s going to happen. It’s going to happen in response to the prayers of his people.

Just picture it: it’s like every prayer for God’s kingdom to come is rising like incense before God. Not one of them wasted. And at some point, the last one’s going to be offered, and his kingdom’s gonna come. Jesus is coming back.

So pray today for his kingdom to come, and pray today for all kinds of things in your life and others’ lives—with confidence that God hears, that your prayers are like incense rising before him, and he acts in response to your prayers with his wisdom and his power and his love.

Oh God, you did not have to do this. You did not have to invite us into your work in the world through prayer. Thank you, God, for designing prayer in such a way that you—the omnipotent God of the universe—act according to our words, just like we read about with Moses in Exodus. You acted according to his word. God, that you might do that today as we ask you for things according to your word.

So we want to step into this fully. God, we pray: hallowed be your name today in our lives. Hallowed be your name today in our cities and our churches and the places where we work. We want people to know the glory of your name.

May your kingdom come, your will be done in our lives today as it is in heaven. God, help us to obey you today. God, we pray that you’d help others to walk in your will today—specific others in our lives. We pray for your will to be done, your will to draw men and women to yourself right around us, and use our lives toward that end.

A Prayer for the Batahín People

All around the world, God, please: may your kingdom come, your will be done among the Batahín of Sudan—among 330,000 Sudanese in such suffering. God, we intercede for them. We pray for your grace and your mercy over them. We pray: pour out mercy and grace in response to our prayers right now. We pray: draw the Batahín to yourself.

Help us—your church that’s working for the spread of the gospel. Raise up more laborers, we pray, just like you told us to pray, to go to the Batahín of Sudan, that they might be reached.

God, use our prayers right now—and all the prayers we’re praying—to bring about effect among the Batahín of Sudan.

Oh God, help us to step into this every day—to the privilege, the honor, the responsibility, the joy of prayer—knowing that our prayers are rising like incense before you right now, all day long as we pray, and that you act as we pray.

Oh God, we praise you for this privilege. Please help us to steward it to the full.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.