The Prayers of the Saints

Revelations 5-9

“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 the saints on the golden altar before the throne…Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth;…The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons and idols…”

Revelation 8:3, 5; 9:20

The intercession of God’s people before his throne, as they pray for their nations, will influence God’s actions on earth. Our prayers combine with incense and are an offering of worship before the throne of God. However, this same incense censer filled with holy fire, once hurled to the earth, releases God’s judgment of sin. Just as God used Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others to intercede before his altar, so also, the Church has been invited to cooperate with God’s salvation purposes and judgment of sin. With Isaiah, the coal from the altar both atones for sin and judges sin. Like Isaiah, we call our nations to repentance so we will not face God’s wrath against sin. We still live in the age of grace where mercy triumphs over judgment.

“Lord Jesus, I pray for repentance and cleansing of sin in our nation, for your glory.”