Prayer of the Righteous

DATE: MAY 6, 2020

TOPIC: "Prayer of the Righteous" Revelation 8:3-5 In Genesis 4:25, 26 it is shown how Adam began THE PRAYER IN HIS LIFE. There is no doubt that the murder of Abel, due to Cain's wickedness, brought tremendous sadness to him and to Eve. But here (Vs. 25) something appears that bought relief to our first parents in the midst of their affliction. God granted him a son whom he called Seth and thus saw the reconstruction of his family and the place of the priest that had been weakened by that sad event. In this way God granted Adam to see the revival of religion in his family (Vs. 26 "At that time men began TO INVOKE THE NAME OF JEHOVAH."). Now they began to worship God, not only in private and with the family, but in public and in solemn and extraordinary assemblies.

I. Revelation 8: 3 "...he was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints..."

A. A lot of incense is given to the angel to add to the prayers of the saints.

1. Incense to the prayers!

2. The prayers of the saints on earth and the incense (the incense raised in smoke) of the angels in heaven coincide in each constant prayer of the people of God.

3. Of all the saints! It means here that it refers to all the prayers, those of the saints in heavenly rest as much as of those who are here and now militants on earth.

4. Of those prayers the cry of the martyrs is the most prominent, and that cry brings down upon the earth the resulting judgments!

5. (Vs. 4) "…went up before God from the angel’s hand." The smoke of the incense, which are the prayers of the saints which they present before the Lamb, ascended.

6. HOW PRECISELY THEIR MINISTRY IS EXERCISED TO PERFUME THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS AND OFFER THEM ON THE ALTAR OF INCENSE!

7. For the angel to add to the prayers of the believers, that is, TO MAKE THEM EFFECTIVE, to make them AS A SOFT FRAGRANCE TO GOD!

8. ONLY THROUGH THE MERITS (WHAT MAKES US DESERVE) OF CHRIST can we incense (by directing our prayer to the Father) our prayers, although the angelic ministry is used to unite this incense that was given to the prayers.

9. The angel only burns the incense given by Christ, who is the High Priest, so that the smoke is confused with the prayers of the ascending saints, who ascend to God.

10. (Vs. 5) "Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar..." And hurled it on the earth, that is, up to the earth; they are the burning coals taken from the altar and thrown onto earth.

11. These burning coals symbolize the tremendous judgments of God soon to fall on the enemies of the saints, which are formed from the prayers in the name of Christ, that ascend (rise) to God and those of the martyrs.

12. HOW WONDERFUL IS THE POWER OF THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS!

13. In Adams pain, who was in great sorrow due to Abel's death, Set was born to him; so, men can see THAT IN GOD IS THE RESPONSE TO OUR PRAYER!

14. We must understand that angels do not add anything of their own to the prayers of the saints, even if our prayers are imperfect. Yes, there is sacred fire (Vs. 5) and incense (Vs. 3) from God!

15. These prayers of the saints, made effective by fire and heavenly perfumes, will be for the day of God's wrath that is to come upon earth!

16. Someone said: What an important role prayer plays in the destiny of the world!

17. We see that the prayer of the just can do much, and it is the believers who raise these prayers to the Holy One! Amen.