Christian's Handbook 1

Handbook 1 is a collection of Christian articles containing spiritual wisdom and knowledge derived from Christians' personal experiences in living daily for God.

Prophecy and Prayer

Handbook 1: Article 97 - The Holy Spirit and the Gifts

In the Revelation of John we are told that the prayers of the true believers play an important part. Listen!

"I looked and saw a Lamb standing there before the twenty-four elders in front of the throne of the living beings, and on the Lamb were wounds that once had caused His death. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting upon the throne. And as He took the scroll, the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb each with a harp and golden vials filled with incense -- the prayers of God's people."

Revelation 5: 6-8

"When the Lamb had broken the seventh seal, there was silence throughout heaven for what seemed like half an hour. And I saw the seven angels that stand before God, and they were given seven trumpets. Then another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; and a great quantity of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God's people, to offer upon the golden altar before the throne. And the perfume of the incense mixed with prayers ascended to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Then the angel filled the censer with fire from the altar and threw it down upon the earth; and thunder crashed and rumbled, lightning flashed, and there was a terrible earthquake."

Revelation 8: 1-5

David had some insight about this!

"O Lord, I call upon Thee, hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to Thee!
May my prayers be fixed as incense before Thee,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering."

Psalm 141: 1, 2

Scripture has many things to say about prayer. Most of us realize that we are to pray unceasingly. Usually, however, our prayers concern our lives, those we love, events in our little world or in our church and its mission. Have you noticed that the prophetic Word tells us to pray for specific things?

Listed below are instructions for prayer:

  1. "Therefore when you see the Abomination of Desolation standing in the holy place then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains... But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath..." (Matthew 24: 15, 16, 20)
  2. "'Pray, then in this way:
    Our Father who art in Heaven,
    Hallowed be Thy name.
    Thy Kingdom come.
    Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.'"
    (Matthew 6: 9, 10)
  3. "Pray that you may not enter into temptation." (Luke 22: 40)
  4. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." (Psalm 122: 6)
  5. Pray -- "Come quickly, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22: 20)

Why should you pray?

"Keep on the alert at all times, praying in order that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Luke 21: 36

"The end of all things has come near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer."

1 Peter 4: 7

May God give ear to your voice when you call Him. May your prayers be counted as incense before Him, the lifting up of your hands as the evening offering.

MC

"Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps alight. And be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will come up and wait on them. Whether he comes in the second watch, or even in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves."

Luke 12: 35-37


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  1. An Invincible Summer
  2. Open My Eyes
  3. My Tongue
  4. Our Tongue
  5. Listen To Yourself
  6. A Book of Remembrance
  7. Prophecy and Prayer
  8. Test the Spirits
  9. Talking to God

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