Lessons on God's Provision - A Character Study in the Life of Elijah

1 Kings 17:1-4 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 The word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 It shall be that you will drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.”

Note to readers: If you would like to hear an audio message based off of today's blogpost, please click on the following link at: https://gcrpodcast.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/audio-sermon-gods-provision-a-character-study-on-the-prophet-elijah-1-kings-1719/

Introduction

Studying the prophets of the Bible is one of the most profitable studies one can do. Not only do we see God's incredible ability to inform us about future events and matters pertaining to salvation and the Lord Jesus Christ, but we also can learn some incredible truths about the walk of faith. In all honesty, everything I have just said factors into why anyone should study the prophets of the Bible. Elijah the prophet appears suddenly on the landscape of history. Unlike Moses or Samuel, there is no biography or accounts of Elijah's early childhood. 

Inasmuch as Elijah's ministry was colored by dramatic manifestations of miracle working power from God, we are reminded in James 5:17-18  "Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."

Today's post features this amazing man of God in regards to how God provided for him in the course of his life and ministry. In this brief character study of Elijah's life and ministry, we can learn lessons about God's provision. Let the reader note the following lessons about God's provision....

1. God is not limited by how He provides

In 1 Kings 17 we see God use ravens to feed Elijah. In the resource by author Willard Smith entitled: "Animals, Birds and Plants of the Bible", he notes about Ravens: "However the raven's unsavory reputation is deserved. It attacks smaller, weaker creatures, often pecking out their eyes. They are predatory by nature, feeding on carrion." I find it interesting how God can use anything, even so-called bad situations, to accomplish His intended ends.  

In the same chapter, God uses a poor widow to feed the prophet. We read in 1 Kings 17:8 "Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” The interesting thing about this provision is that God used a poor widow who was gathering her last meal to feed herself and her son. Then God in turn used Elijah to perform a miracle that ended up sustaining the widow and her child for nearly three years - on a handful of flour and a small amount of olive oil! 

Then in 1 Kings 19 we find the desperate prophet being fed by an angel. God's use of angels is amply documented in the Word of God. We know that He uses them in aiding His people (Psalm 91:11; Hebrews 1:7,14). So as we can see from Elijah's life, God is unlimited in how He can provide. 2 Corinthians 9:8 reminds us - "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed."

2. God is not limited by what He can provide

In 1 Kings 17 God uses food in the feet and beaks of birds to feed Elijah. In the same chapter he uses even less food from a poor widow to feed the prophet. In 1 Kings 19, God uses food from seemingly nowhere to feed the prophet by the hand of an angel. Undeniably God's ability to provide is not limited by the quantity of available resources. Afterall, He literally created our universe and world out of nothing. Romans 4:17 states - "(as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead andcalls into being that which does not exist." So by the life of Elijah, we learn that when it comes to God's provision, God is unlimited in how he provides and by what He can provide. There is one more lesson we can consider before closing out today's post....

3. God is always able to provide

When we consider all three episodes above, all three episodes are noted for their scant to non-availability of resources. In all three cases, God proves that He is able to provide. In all three cases, Elijah is dependent on God's ability to provide. In all three cases, Elijah is caused to see God's hand and ultimately to hear His voice. On the outward appearance of things, it would seem that Elijah's situation grows from bad to worse. Yet, we see God drawing Elijah closer and closer to Himself and further away from dependence on the acceptance of men or the ease of circumstances.

Closing thoughts
In closing out today's post, we learned that when considering Elijah's life, we learn the following three principles about God's provision:

1. God is unlimited in how He can provide

2. God is unlimited by what He can provide

3. God is always able to provide

Three scriptures from the New Testament provide good reminders to reinforce the above truths. First, Romans 8:32 states - "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" Or how about Philippians 4:19 "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Then one more verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9  "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Thank you Lord for how you teach us by your prophets your ability and willingness to provide. 

Spiritual Boldness - A Character Study on the Prophet Nathan

2 Samuel 7:1-3 "Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of Goddwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

Introduction: The prophetic office in the Old Testament

According to Dr. Gleason Archer in his book: "A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction", three main words are used to define a prophet in the Bible. The first term of course is the Hebrew word (Na-bi) translated "prophet", meaning a bearer of God's news, one who announces, summons or calls God's people to follow after God. The second term mentioned by Archer is the phrase "man of God". If the purpose of the prophet's office is defined by the title "prophet", then the one occupying the office itself is indeed a "man of God" or one who is devoted to God and personal fellowship with Him. The third term typically used to describe the prophetic office is that of "Seer". This term refers to the activity of the prophet. 

Prophets do not see things like most people see. A good example that comes to my mind is 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha "saw" the armies of angels protecting he and his servant who could only see what was before him. According to Bible scholar Harold Wilmington, there are roughly 40 prophets, both writing prophets and non-writing prophets. 

The prophet Nathan - a spiritually bold prophet
As we just observed, there are roughly 40 prophets mentioned in the Bible. One of those prophets, Nathan, is used of God to bring forth the prophetic Word to two of Israel's greatest kings: David and Solomon. Nathan's name literally means: "He gives". Without a doubt, Nathan demonstrates courage and boldness in specific moments where such things were in short supply. Nathan was also priveleged by God to be the mouthpiece to deliver one of the the most important prophecies in all of the Bible - the Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:8-16). When we look at Nathan's career and ministry, we find 2 main episodes in 2 Samuel (parallel accounts are also found in 1 Chronicles) and one main episode in 1 Kings:

1. Nathan's prophecy of the humanity of the ultimate King, the Lord Jesus Christ, coming through David's bloodline (i.e The Davidic Covenant). 
2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Chronicles 17:1-15

2. Nathan's confrontation of David over his sin with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 12:1-25; Psalm 51

3. Nathan, along with other court officials, boldy anointed Solomon as King in opposition to a well publicized attempt by a rival brother of Solomon, Adonijah, to ascend to Israel's throne. 
1 Kings 1:1-45. 

There are some valuable lessons to learn about spiritual boldness from these three episodes of Nathan's life. Let's briefly list them...

1. Boldness to hear God. 2 Samuel 7:1-17
When David told Nathan of his desire to build a temple for Yahweh, Nathan responded with the natural assumption that it would be no problem for the King to pursue such a project. However, God later told Nathan that it would not be David, but his son who would build the temple. Moreover, God had greater plans for David that included the bringing about of the humanity of the ultimate King. 

Imagine what it must had been like the next time Nathan saw the king. The day before he told the king it was o.k to build the temple. Now he was going to tell David that God said "no", and that God had a far greater plan. We know of course David's response of praise from hearing Nathan's prophecy (2 Samuel 7:18-29). 

Nathan had the Holy Spirit-given boldness to hear God and speak for God. When we see his boldness, we need to remember that it is God we must aim to bring pleasure, not men (1 Thessalonians 2:4). Nathan was willing to forego the fear of the moment for what God in faith was showing him concerning the Divine destiny of the King. Thus we see the first lesson in being bold for God, namely the spiritual boldness to hear God. But now let us notice a second lesson about spiritual boldness from Nathan the prophet....

2. Boldness to hate sin. 2 Samuel 12
Imagine if you will being not only the King's prophet, but one of his closest friends. Word has reached your ears concerning God's planned judgment on the King. As you begin to understand what took place, it is discovered that King David has been emeshed in a conspiracy that entailed murder and forced impropriety on the wife of the man he had murdered! If you were Nathan, how would you respond? In 2 Samuel 12:1-7, we see Nathan tell a parable to King David, with David's response: "Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man,
And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him;
Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6 He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.” 

As you see the tension mounting, the ring of inevitability is about to strike. The hammer will soon fall on David's heart. Nathan's terse response to David is one of the most penetrating sentences in all of sacred scripture, notice 2 Samuel 12:7 "Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul." 

The Prophet risked his life to deliver God's stinging indictment to King David. It took spiritual boldness to deliver God's Word. Hatred of sin is necessary if we expect to be spiritually bold for God and boldness to hear God is a requirement. Jude 1:20-23 states - But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear,hating even the garment polluted by the flesh." In spiritual matters, only when we know what we love more than anything will equip us to despise and put away from ourselves those things that get between ourselves and the object of our affections. Now let's consider one more trait of spiritual boldness from Nathan's life...


3. Boldness to full obey. 1 Kings 1
We have learned from Nathan the need to boldly hear God and hate sin in the quest for spiritual boldness. But what about full obedience? In 1 Kings 1, the proverbial sun is sinking into the horizon of David's reign. For over 30 years the prophet Nathan had stuck by his master's side. We saw him near thebeginning of David's reign in Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 7 - boldly hearing God. Then somewhere approaching the middle of David's reign, perhaps near the zenith of his power, we see Nathan boldly hate sin and confront his erring King. 

However in this final scene, we find the same King David on his bed of affliction. The throne of Jerusalem was in the cross-hairs of David's overly-ambitious son - Adonijah. David's other son - Solomon, was to be the rightful heir. Adonijah had presumed upon the moment and set up a public coronation of himself. The sound of crowds gathering could be heard. Nathan and a few of David's closest family and friends were in a dangerous position. 

To oppose Adonijah's meteoric rise to power would mean possible death. However, Nathan recalls God's Word to David that he spoke to Solomon as recorded in 1 Chronicles 22:6-12. In that passage, David promised Solomon that he would be his heir. Nathan took that to be the Word of the Lord and thus he knew he had to heed the Word and fulfill his responsibilities, along with the remainder of David's court. As you read on down through 1 Kings 1, Nathan and the rest of David's court hasten to put together a public coronation of Solomon, with shouts of "Long Live the King". The ceremony is accompanied by a Divine quaking, causing the rival Adonijah to quake in fear.  

What would you and I had done? Is full obedience to God only popular when it seems to benefit our cause. What happens when circumstances are less than ideal and the prospect of failure, ridicule or even death looms overhead? Then what? Will following through in obedience to God be so eagerly embraced? Nathan finished well. He saw Israel's next - true king - crowned. What a life of spiritual boldness! To hear God, hate sin and fully obey! Would it be that each of us, dear readers, be a spiritually bold generation for God.

Prophets in the New Testament

Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John."

Introduction:
We have spent that last several days trying to understand the value of studying the prophets in the Bible. In our study thus far we have defined what they are, listed some examples and looked at what the New Testament had to say about the Old Testament prophets. The four main purposes of the prophetic ministry in the Old Testament was discovered to be:
1. The prophets shed light on our salvation

2. They point to Jesus Christ

3. They predict the future

4. They unfold God's will

Today we consider prophets in the New Testament. Are they the same? Who are they? Do they function in the same manner as the Old Testament prophets? Let's go and discover the answers.

Transitional prophets from Old to New Testament
Between Malachi and Matthew lied 400 years period of time with no prophecy, with no prophets and no inspired books being written. According to Harold Wilmington in his book: "The Complete Book of Bible Lists", four people represent the end of the Old Testament line of prophets and thus set the stage for the New Testament prophetic ministry:

1. Zacharias. Luke 1:67-69
2. Simeon. Luke 2:25-25
3. John the Baptist. Matt 11:9; Luke 1:57-80
4. Anna. Luke 2:36-38

In quickly meditating on these four figures in regards to the four marks of the prophetic office in the Old Testament, all four were used of God to shed light on our salvation, point to Christ, predict the future and unfold God's will. In reading the key texts for each figure, some tend to emphasize one or two of the traits more so than other traits, thus fitting with the purpose of God's calling on their lives. These observations demonstrate that at least from an Old Testament into New Testament perspective, the prophetic office did not vary. Moreover, the line of unity and continuity in the message, purpose and function of the prophetic office did not waver from Old into New Testament. The only thing we can say in terms of distinction would be that New Testament prophets saw the same Jesus from a fulfilled perspective. Jesus Himself clarifies for us these observations in Matthew 11:13 and 23:37. 

Are the New Testament Prophets the same in function as the Old Testament prophets
It would seem that if there is direct continuity between the prophets stretching from the days of Abel to John, then their must be similar continuity with full-blown New Testament prophets. When I say full-blown New Testament prophets, I am referring to those people who prophesied in the early church following the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. 

1. Agabus. Acts 11:28; 21:10
2. Philipp's four daughters. Acts 21:8-9

As well as the prediction of prophets speaking forth in the tribulation period leading up to the days of Christ's second coming in Revelation 11:3-12. 

As I said a moment ago, quick reflection on the distinctions between Old and New Testament prophets show that New Testament prophets operate from a fulfilled perspective versus the perspective of anticipation of their Old Testament counterparts. If we consider the four main functions of the prophetic office as defined above (shed light on Jesus; our salvation, unfolding God's will and predicting the future), we can say for certain that Agabus and the Tribulation prophets function in all four areas, with Agabus' ministry chiefly concerned with predicting the future and unfolding God's will, whereas the tribulation martyrs will emphasize the need to repent. We don't have enough information regarding Philip's four daughters to make any substantial comment. If the other prophetic figures can be used as a baseline for interpretation, then the four daughters of Phillip would had functioned to provide a supporting role in the early church. 

Closing thoughts
So when we consider prophets in the New Testament, there is a line of continuity running from Old to New Testament. A shifting of priority occurred due to the perspective each type of prophet had in viewing Christ's work. The prayer is that these last few posts have whetted the appetite to know Jesus and His word better with respect to the prophetic office. 

What the New Testament says about the Old Testament Prophets

Matt 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Introduction:

In yesterday's post we considered the following reasons why studying the prophets of the Bible is valuable: 

1. The prophets shed light on our salvation

2. They point to Jesus Christ

3. They predict the future

4. They unfold God's will

These four main observations were gleaned from 1 Peter 1:10-12. I felt since we were able to understand practical reasons for studying the Old Testament Prophets from one New Testament passage (1 Peter 1:10-12), it might be beneficial to consider what other New Testament passages teach us about the importance of studying the prophets of the Bible. 

The main meanings of the word prophet and identifying the prophets themselves

According to Dr. Gleason Archer in his book: "A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction", three main words are used to define a prophet in the Bible. The first term of course is the Hebrew word translated "prophet", meaning a bearer of God's news, one who announces, summons or calls God's people to follow after God. The second term mentioned by Archer is the phrase "man of God". If the purpose of the prophet's office is defined by the title "prophet", then the one occupying the office itself is indeed a "man of God" or one who is devoted to God and personal fellowship with Him. The third term typically used to describe the prophetic office is that of "Seer". This term refers to the activity of the prophet. Prophets do not see things like most people see. A good example that comes to my mind is 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha "saw" the armies of angels protecting he and his servant who could only see what was before him. According to Bible scholar Harold Wilmington, there are roughly 40 prophets, both writing prophets and non-writing prophets. We won't name them, but a few remind us of just how significant a study of the prophets can be in understanding the Bible (people such as Moses, Samuel, Daniel, David, Isaiah, Malachi). 

What the New Testament says about the Old Testament Prophets

In taking the time to better understand what a prophet did, we can now consider some of the key New Testament texts that shed further light on this very important subject. I will simply list out the key verses with no exposition so that readers can use them for their own personal study.

1. Matthew 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."


2. Luke 10:24 "for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”


3. Luke 24:25-27, 44 "And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”


4. Acts 3:22-24 "Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days."

5. Acts 7:52 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become"


6. Acts 10:43 "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

7. Acts 13:27-29 "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers,recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

8. Acts 28:23 "When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening."

9. 1 Peter 1:10-12 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

10. 2 Peter 1:19-21 "So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

11. Jude 1:14-15 "It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

The value of studying the prophets in the Bible

1 Peter 1:10-12 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look."

Introduction:

As Peter wrote his first letter, the Holy Spirit reminded him to reflect on those Old Testament counter-parts that set the stage for what would be the coming of Jesus Christ and the New Testament era - namely the prophets. Over the past couple of weeks I have been think upon the prophets and the prophetic ministry in mainly the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Each part of our Bible is extremely important in developing Christian faith and better acquaintence with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Law points to Christ, the historical books prepare for Christ and the poetic books ponder on Christ. The Gospels portray Christ, Acts preaches Christ, the Epistles explain Christ and Revelation places Christ right before our eyes. 

But now what have I missed? Ah yes, the prophets. The prophets are immensely important, since they comprise more of the Old Testament than any of the other sections. Moreover, there are more prophetic books than any other type of literature in the Bible, save the letter or New Testament Epistles. Amazingly, the prophetic books seem at times to wear all of the hats of the other sections. The Apostle Peter gives us an authoritative word on the value of studying the prophets and their writings in the Bible. In brief, I want us to look at 1 Peter 1:10-12 and discover the value of studying the prophets.

1. The prophets shed light on salvation. 

That as to say, Peter places the purpose of the prophetic office as expounding upon and urging human beings to believe, repent and be saved. As Peter writes: "concerning this salvation". (1 Peter 1:10)

2. The prophets predict future events

Peter goes on in 1 Peter 1:10b "the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries." This particular function of the prophetic office is what most think of when defining the prophet. Undoubtedly there is a large part of the prophetic books that predict future events. Among the traits pointing to the Bible Divine revelation, none perhaps demonstrates more its character as Divine revelation than predicted fulfilled prophecy. Furthermore, to read the prophecies of the Bible serves to warn, clarify and most important of all, comfort the saints of God. (see for instance 1 Thessalonians 4:18)

3. The prophets point us to Jesus

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:11 "seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." The same Holy Spirit Who indwells every Christian today and Who inspired the scriptures was at work in the prophets. Not only was He working in the writing prophets of Moses, Samuel, David and Isaiah to Malachi, but also in other lesser known prophets such as Enoch and Nathan. The prophets wrote or verbalized about arks, tabernacles, priesthoods, sacrifices, nations, kings, physical objects and did miracles all for the sake of picturing or predicting something about Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself stated in Luke 24:44 that the Law and the Prophets spoke concerning Him. Peter, Paul and the other New Testament authors quote or allude to the prophetic books on numerous occassions in demonstrating and further unfolding the wonder of Jesus. So the value of studying the prophetic books is to shed light on salvation, future events and Jesus Christ. Now lets consider one final reason...

4. Prophets unfold God's will for our lives

1 Peter 1:12 states - "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look." Prophets served the people by bringing to them God's will and revelation. Amazingly, Peter brings home the main life-application of this text by plainly stating that the prophets were not serving themselves - but you. How? They announced. They unfolded, explained and made known the will of God for God's people in all ages at all times. Amos 3:7 reminds us that God does not make known His will save through the prophets. Hence this is why we need to become more acquuainted with the prophets, being that we can gain a better understanding of how God would have us to live our lives for Him today. 

Conclusion

Today we considered four reasons why it is valuable to study the prophets in the Bible: 

1. They shed light on salvation

2. They predict future events

3. They point to Jesus Christ

4. They unfold God's will for our lives

3 reasons why you and I need to pray

Ephesians 6:18-20 "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with allperseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and prayon my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassadorin chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Why pray?

Today's post aims to answer the simple question: "why pray?". The command to pray in Ephesians 6:18-20 occurs on the heals of Paul's extensive treatment of the spiritual armor and the need to fight the good fight of faith. As Paul prepares to close out his Epistle to the Ephesians, his final set of commands will deal with prayer and the need of it. In short order we will propose three reasons why we need to pray from Ephesians 6:18-20.

We need to pray because of alertness

Ephesians 6:18a notes - "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert....". The Christian walk can often be characterized as a slumber moreso than a consistent attendance to the priorities of the Kingdom. Prayer for the Christian life is like oxygen to the lungs - without it we suffocate and lag behind. When we read in the accounts of Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethesemane in Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38, His appeal to them is to "watch and pray". Alertness in the Christian life is held to such a high premium that it is plainly comanded of every Christian in Ephesians 5:14-17. Jesus Himself is portrayed at the beginning of his ministry literally waking up early in the morning to pray. (Mark 1:35) Spiritual alertness is an impossibility without prayer. Notice a second reason why we need to pray...

We need to pray because of God's power

Ephesians 6:18-19 continues with these words - "with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel....". Churches and individual Christian lives seem to be characterized more by activity than God's power. Prayer is the open window inviting the Spirit of God to blow His fresh Divine power on our otherwise weak and anemic human efforts. Jesus told his disciples not to fear, since the Spirit would grant them the words to say at just the right moment. (Matthew 10:19) No preaching of the word nor understanding of it can happen apart from the power of God's grace available to do either. (Psalm 119:27) When Jesus stood at Lazarus' tomb in John 11, He intentionally prayer aloud for the sake of those nearby to demonstrate the fact that He was relying on the power of His Heavenly Father and the Person of the Spirit to raise Lazarus from the dead. Prayer is needed because of the need for God's power. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 reminds us that the preaching and teaching of God's Word is effective insofar as it is accompanied by the Spirit's power. Lest the people of God and the preacher are devoted to prayer, no power from on high will be experienced. Jesus even instructed the early church to wait on the Spirit until He empowered them to do their missionary work. (Acts 1:8) The early disciples went into an upstairs room and prayed for ten days until the Spirit came and empowered them. We must pray if we ever expect to see God's power in our lives, as well as for the sake of alertness. Now notice a final reason to pray....

We need to pray because we need boldness

We read in Ephesians 6:19b-20 - "to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Without prayer, Christians can be lethargic, powerless and timid people. Is it any wonder why churches and Christians today are timid, not wanting to take or stand or stand for what is right? Could it be because of prayerlessness in both the pew and the pulpit? Again we see in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus praying three times to the Father, and meanwhile the disciples fast asleep nearby. Colossians 1:3-6 records these words - "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." Wherever we see boldness in the people of God, prayer before and after is always present. In regards to the spiritual armor, prayer functions like the direct orders from the commanding officer. A soldier may very well have the weapons and armor he needs to fight the battle. However, if the soldier has no direction nor rapport with his commanding officer, his conflict will end in defeat. In prayer, I am yielding my will and allegiance to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit inside of the Christian is the 1st Officer, with Jesus Christ as the Captain and Lord of the soul. When we fail to pray, we plan to fail. We need prayer because of the need for alertness, the need for God's power and the need for boldness in this 21st century world. 

Valley of Vision

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Today's post features a prayer from the book entitled "Valley of Vision". Back in the mid-seventies a man by the name of Arthur Bennett put together a collection of Puritan prayers prayed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries that has become a devotional classic. Bennett's book was entitled "Valley of Vision" due to the title of the opening prayer. I felt today that this would be a great way to start off the week and offer it to you for your meditation and edification.

"Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. 

Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley."

How prayer and Bible prophecy go hand-in-hand

Luke 18:1&8 (1) Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart. (8) “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

In today's post we want to look at how Jesus and the Apostle Paul link together prayer and Bible prophecy. 

Jesus desires to find His people praying at His return
In Luke 18 Jesus presents a parable on prevailing prayer.  He tells the story of a poor and oppressed woman who had appealed to an unjust judge for a resolution of a situation.  Everyday she went to him, making an appeal for him to take care of the problem that was vexing her life.  Jesus tells us that this Judge cared neither for her nor her plight, however he chose to intervene in order to get her out of his hair - so to speak.  Jesus' point was that if an unjust Judge would answer the pleas of a woman He doesn't know, how much more will not the Father - who is just and fair, hear the pleas of His people whom he loves.  Jesus then closes the section with the statement of His desire to find such prevailing prayer among His people at His return.

Why we must see the connection between prophecy and prayer
Jesus here is making an important connection for us between prayer and His second coming.  When we explore the scriptures, we discover the premium scripture places upon both.  For instance, 1/5 of the over 31,000 verses of the Bible deal with prophecy or Divine statements about the future.  Of those more than 800 prophecies, 1/3 of those focus upon the most important theme in prophecy - Christ's return. 

On the prayer side of things we find over 600 recorded prayers in the Word of God.  Prayer is such a huge theme in the Bible.  In Genesis 4:26 we see prayer first mentioned, with Revelation 21:20 being the last prayer of the Bible.  In that final prayer of the Bible, we find the combinations of prophecy and prayer in these words: "He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Jesus teaches that prayer needs hope, and prophecy supplies it
Prayer by its very nature is wrestling to know God, hear God and invite God to be front and center in our thoughts and situations.  If anything, prayer needs hope - for often we find ourselves praying for people or situations where hope is in short supply.  It seems that scripture intentionally connects prayer and prophecy together to infuse our prayer lives with the Hope - Christ.  With prayer being possible because of Christ's first coming, and prophecy focusing us upon His second coming, it is clear why both need to be together. 

Having seen Jesus' teaching us how prophecy supplies the hope that prayer needs, we now turn to the Apostle Paul and learn a second important truth about the relationship between prophecy and prayer....

Prophecy supplies hope and prayer is strengthened by it
Paul writes in Philippians 3:20 "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Hope is present conviction rooted in the certainty of who God is and what He is going to do.  

As you look at the statement made here in Philippians, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul was writing to a church located at a cultural center of the Roman empire.  Much like a "county seat" in an American context - Phillipi was a place where issues such as Roman Citizenship played a huge role.  To be a Roman citizen meant privileges that very few people in the first century had the opportunity to enjoy.  For these people to whom Paul wrote - the fundamental question was: from whence do you derive your hope? The Christian must fight the temptation of placing too much hope in this world, which is why Paul directs their attention, and ours, to the return of Jesus Christ. 

Now in just a few verses we read an incredible statement on the need of prayer.  Philippians 4:6-7 tells us: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understand will guard your hearts and minds in Christ."  Grammar and context connects Philippians 4:6-7 back to Philippians 3:20-21.  In order to "be anxious for nothing" in prayer, I need to keep my heart focused upon the blessed hope of Christ's return.  The hope needed in prayer is supplied by the hope of His return.

Conclusion: The Bible puts prophecy and prayer together
Prophecy's effectiveness can only be seen as we apply its message to our current situation through prayer.  Jesus teaches us that the hope required by prayer is supplied by prophecy, and Paul taught us that the hope supplied by prophecy reinforces the prayer life. When we pray in accordance to Philippians 4:6-7 we are promised "peace that surpasses all understanding" and "guarding of the heart and mind in Christ".  What prophecy does is lift me above the immediate horizon of my circumstances to see Christ who is Lord over my circumstances.  Paul reminds us in Titus 2:13 "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus".  To know that the end of all time is not in the whims of chance, but rather in the will of God, gives great hope concerning personal situations.

Answering the how questions of prayer

Luke 11:1 "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

Review from Friday November 15th post http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/11/gods-power-in-prayer-lifes-storms.html
We noted Revelation 8:1-5 and how God's power is shown through prayer in the midst of life's storms. We observed the following thoughts:

1. God's power is perceived through prayer. Revelation 8:1

2. God grants power to live for Him through prayer. Revelation 8:2-4

3. God powerfully affects things here on earth through prayer. Revelation 8:5

Revelation 8:1-5 is undoubtedly an amazing passage of scripture in that it proves that not one prayer prayed  by Christians in accordance to God's will is wasted.  W.A Criswell notes the following great insight: "Why interpose this passage? For two reasons. First the great and final judgment of the earth is in answer to the prayers of God's people. What is the high and holy intercession, what is the spiritual appeal  of God's saints through all the ages? It is the prayer that Christ placed on the lips and in the hearts of His people, 'Thy Kingdom come and thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.' 1

Standing as a little child at the base of the great tree called prayer
The greatness of prayer is due to the Great God who has assigned it.  However I also know too we often feel that we could be far greater than we are in our prayer lives.  The impulse to pray can be in us, however we too many times may not know how to begin or how to proceed forward in prayer. God has so planted the great tree of prayer in His word and in every Christian's life as a sapling He desires to grow in the soil of faith. 

To look at this "tree" analogy in a slightly different fashion, I feel like a little child standing at the base of the great tree of prayer. Whenever I study scriptures on prayer, God through His word causes me to want to grab hold of the lowest branch of that tree and begin to climb onward and upward. 

We must be careful not to over-think prayer, since the easiest advice you can ever receive about prayer is to pray.  Nevertheless I do think in light of Friday's post you and I need some vital "how-to's" when it comes to prayer. In today's post we will consider a few key passages in the Bible that answer the following "how-to" questions about prayer that can aid us in growing greatly in prayer:

1. How do we pray?  Luke 11:1-13
This is the only time in the 3 1/2 years of the ministry of Jesus where His disciples request of Him to teach them something. Think of all the things they could have asked: "How do you walk on the water?" or "How do you multiply loaves and fishes" or "how do you raise someone from the dead?" Yet the one thing that struck them more than the miracles of the Master was the Master's prayer life. Jesus lays out in this passage three ingredients for informing us on how we ought to pray:

a. Begin and end with an exalted view of God the Father.  Luke 11:1-2

b. Base your prayer on God's promises through His Son.  Luke 11:3-12

c. Bridge your prayer and practical life by submitting yourself to the Spirit's leading in the scriptures. Luke 11:13          

2. How does prayer work?  
The Bible gives us enough of an outline of the inner workings of prayer to acquire the confidence needed to begin prayer and stay consistent in our prayer life.  We may not comprehend the mystery that is prayer, however we can discern enough about how God works in and through it to increase our willingness to pray. Just as the first question centered around the activity of the Triune God in our prayer lives, this second question is answered in much the same manner.  

a. Prayer is aimed at the Father. 
1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."

b. Prayer's advocate on earth is the Spirit.
Romans 8:26-27 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." 

c. Prayer's advocate in heaven is the Son
Hebrews 7:25 "Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." 1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Whenever you consider those three above thoughts, the Holy Spirit is the one by whom we pray.  He is the One Who burdens us and presses us to pray. As we pray, He in turn takes our less than perfect prayers to the Son, Who in turn represents us before the Father.  All three Persons are One God, ever in unity and union with One another as One God.  The Father sends the answer worked out between He and the Son by the Spirit back down here to us on earth.  As Ephesians 2:18 reminds us - "for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father." To pray is an extraordinary event when you think about it. 

3. How to pray effectively?
So far we have answered the questions: How do we pray? and How does prayer work? There is one last "how-to question": How do we pray effectively? The answer is found by combining prayer with the scriptures. James 5:11-19 teaches us two reasons why effective prayer goes hand-in-hand with scripture:

a). Enduring in prayer requires the scriptures. James 5:11-15
James utilizes the account of Job in demonstrating how God's grace enabled Job to endure the hardships he underwent and how God raised him up at the end. Job's endurance in faith and in prayer is used as an example throughout scripture.

b). Empowering prayer requires scripture. James 5:16-19
James then switches from Job to the example of Elijah. Elijah was a prophet of Israel who was known for the miracles God wrought through him and the prayers he prayed.  Who can forget his intercession on top of Mount Caramel when his servant saw a cloud the size of a man's hand and Elijah running ahead of Ahab's chariot in 1 Kings 18:41-46. 

James uses both of these men to demonstrate how prayer hitched to God's Word can make for effective prayer that is both enduring and empowering.  To pray the scriptures simply means to take a passage in context and apply it to your situation.  So we can pray something like: "Lord, just as you enabled Job to endure his trial, enable me to endure mine" or "Lord, just as you assured Elijah that You were going to see Him through, would you grant me the same." Scripture is God's Word and so it is through those sacred words the Spirit speaks, for they are His words. (1 Corinthians 2:10-13)

Endnotes:
1. W.A Criswell. Expository Sermons on Revelation - Volume 3. Zondervan. 1964. Page 167.  
Dr. Criswell continues the quote on the same page - The time has now come for that prayer uttered by God's people through millenniums to be answered by God.  That is why at this point when those prayers are finally to be answered, God has brought before Him the remembrance of those intercessions through the ages. The time has come when God will cast out Satan, will dethrone the usurper, will judge sin. The time has come when iniquity and death and hell and the grace will be destroyed forever. The time has come when God's kingdom shall be established in the earth. At that time God has brought before Him the remembrance of those intercessions through the ages."

God's power in prayer & life's storms - Revelation 8:1-5

Revelation 8:3 "Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

Richard Foster comments on the place of prayer in the Christian life

One of my favorite authors, Richard Foster, writes the following about the place of prayer in the midst of turmoil and business: "Through the Prayer of Rest God places His children in the eye of the storm.  When all around us is chaos and confusion, deep within we know stability and serenity. In the midst of intense personal struggle we are still and relaxed.  While a thousand frustrations seek to distract us, we remained focused and attentive.  This is the fruit of the Prayer of Rest."1 Foster's words truly hit home when you think about them and reminds me of my own experience of being in the eye of a storm.

Lessons learned in the silence of the eye of a hurricane

I will never forget while living in Florida the year Central Florida was struck by not one, not two but three hurricanes in a matter of six weeks.  At the time my wife and kids and I were living right where the "eye-walls" of all three storms has crossed over our very home.  By the time it was all said and done, a 100 mile zone of devastation was left in the wake.  On the night that the first hurricane (Hurricane Charley) was blowing into the area, were told it would be a category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 110 m.p.h.  The building where we were seeking shelter had been battered by the first half of the storm, with the roof blown off down to the plywood and water running down to the walls. The winds raging outside the building sounded like fleets of jet aircraft taking off numerous runways. Sheets of rain were falling so hard that you could not see outside. I watched as the lights of our then home and the city lights blinked, dimmed and then went dark. 

Suddenly, without warning...there was silence. If you have never been in a hurricane, it is all at once a most peaceful and unnerving experience.  I recall going outside in the pitch black darkness (for the power had went out at that point). As I looked up into the night sky, I beheld for the first time an endless star field of the Milky Way Galaxy.  In the eye of that storm there was no wind, no sound - only the endless stretches of countless stars declaring the glory of God and the firmament of His handiwork. (Psalm 19:1-6) Then as if without warning, the wind turned up once again, and we rode out the remainder of that first storm.  Though those storms and their aftermath contained the most painful and traumatic memories, they also were used by God to illustrate to me His Power and also the power of prayer.

The Apostle John is brought into the eye of the storm of Christ's plan for conquering the world - the power of prayer

Revelation 8:1-5 is an amazing stretch of scripture because of its location in the middle of Christ's revealed vision of how He will use the future tribulation period to be His theater for conquering the world.  John's exposure to future events and scenes of judgment, Israel's preparation and tribulation martyrs would had undoubtedly sent his mind and heart reeling.  Revelation 8:1-5 functions as the Divinely given eye of the storm of this set of revelatory visions in Revelation 4-11.  Consider in brief how Revelation 8:1-5 is situated at the "eye-wall" of this sweeping revelatory sequence:

1. God the Father and the Lamb on the Throne. Revelation 4-5

2. The Lamb breaks the seven seals to access earth's title deed to prepare for the earth's judgment, Israel's meeting of her Messiah and the final evangelization of planet earth. Revelation 6-7

3. Revelation 8:1-5 Silence in heaven and the prayers of the saints that will be used by the Lamb to execute judgment by way of the seven trumpets.

4. Revelation 8:6-13 The seven trumpets begin to sound well into the second half of the tribulation period. A parallel appears to exist between God having the seal judgments begin with four seals, with the remaining three having their own distinct grouping to that of the trumpet judgments having four trumpets and then the last three being also distinctive. 

5. Revelation 9-11 The seven trumpets signal the intensity of judgment in the latter part of the tribulation period, culminating in the conquering of the earth by Jesus Christ. The latter three trumpet blasts, also called the "three woes", will increase the intensity and speed of judgment on the earth at the tail end of the tribulation period.  Like a hurricane, the tribulation period will be far worse in the latter half than the first half.  

As Jesus brought John to see how He is going to use the prayers of God's people as part of His plan in conquering the world, some wonderful truths about God's power and need of prayer in life's storms are revealed. 

God's power is perceived through prayer. Rev 8:1

The need for rest and silence before God is more needed than ever before. Even in heaven the theme of rest and silence is used by God to convey to John and to us reminders about prayer and rest in His Sovereignty and purposes.  Revelation 8:1 "When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Silence before God grants the ability to see more clearly His power. Consider the following cross references that drive home this point of prayerful rest before God and the ability to see His power:

-Psalm 62:1 "My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation."

-Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

-Zechariah 2:13 “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord; for He is aroused from His holy habitation.”

Just as David in Psalms and the prophets were instructed by God to include silence and restful prayer in seeing God's greatness, so was Jesus using the same method with John.  Revelation 8:1 read in light of the above cross-references shows us the point of Jesus' inclusion of rest and prayer in the middle of this vision - to assert to John and us His Sovereign power over life, history and salvation. 

God's power is granted to live for Him through prayer     Rev 8:2-4
The place given to prayer in the Christian life cannot be overestimated. The imagery John uses of the prayers of God's people functioning like incense before the throne of God is taken from the prayer lives of God's people.  For instance, Psalm 141:2 "May my prayer be counted as incense before You;The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering." 

Undoubtedly connecting prayer to the incense that was burned by the priests in the temple was first revealed by God.  Passages such as Exodus 30:1,3; Leviticus 16:12 and Hebrews 9:4 all refer to the priests burning incense upon the golden altar that was in the holy place of the tabernacle or temple, and that place being designated as the place of prayer. Anytime incense was offered in conjunction with the sacrifices in the courtyard of the tabernacle or temple, the work of prayer would had been made known to the senses.  The worshippers could not see the priest once he disappeared into the holy place to perform his duties on their behalf.  However whenever that priest placed incense upon the golden altar, the worshipper in the courtyard knew that he had an intercessor working on his behalf.  To the Lord incense and aroma meant that satisfaction for sin had been rendered by the sacrifice of an innocent sin bearer on behalf of the sinning person. 

Now why do we mention these details? Because prayer and its function was part fo the everyday lives of God's people in the Bible. By the days of the early church, this idea of incense and prayer as daily realities signaled how God's church continued to view prayer as God's power source for the Christian. Ephesians 5:2 reminds us: "and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma." Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:4-5 "And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones,are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." It is through us that the Lord works forth the knowledge of Himself as indicated by 2 Corinthians 2:14. 

Sacrificial language is used to describe God's desire for a life of prayer as found in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior

God powerfully affect things here on earth through prayer. Rev 8:5
Revelation 8:5 states "Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake." Note how there was silence in heaven for about 30 minutes.  God had John watch in silence as all the angels got in their places, all the vials or bowls were handed out and the prayers in those bowls were to be poured out. Prayer and silence must be a part of the daily life of God's people.  Prayer is one of the means ordained by God to accomplish His greater purposes here on earth. What did Jesus teach His disciples in Matthew 6:9-10 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." Certainly the final prayer of the Bible emphasizes the hastening of Christ's return here to earth in Revelation 22:20  "He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus."

Conclusion
As we have considered God's power in prayer & life's storms, we have interacted with Revelation 8:1-5 in understanding how it fits in the midst of Jesus' extraordinary revelations to the Apostle John. John's vision of Revelation 4-11 has in it this incredible series of verses that show how Jesus will include God's final answers to every believer's prayer in His conquering of the world. Here is what we have learned:

1. God's power is perceived through prayer. Revelation 8:1
2. God's power is granted to live for Him through prayer Revelation 8:2-4
3. God powerfully affect things here on earth through prayer. Revelation 8:5

Endnotes: 

1. Richard Foster. Prayer - Finding the Heart's True Home. Harper San Francisco. 1992. Page 93