Prayers of the Saints

"...Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:8b

I can not get this verse out of my head today as I sit thinking and praying for you and your ladies. Sometimes I am not sure we realize what our prayers really are or mean to God. Here in Revelation it says our prayers are like incense, a sweet smelling fragrance.

If you are like me so many times before I pray I have gotten caught up in my location, who is there, what I am going to say, and a host of other things. Sometimes I get nervous that I will say the wrong thing or what I say will not make sense to those around me. It's almost like the prayers I am about to pray are not really for God, they are for me and those listening. When I get into that mentality it freezes me and I find it so hard to pray out loud. I allow fear and pride to bind me up and render me and my prayers ineffective.

For me the key to overcoming this kind of thinking has been consistent out loud prayer in my tent time. This is the place where I can open my weary soul before Jesus and lay it all at his feet. I sit in silence and let him speak, repent, pray verses of scripture over myself and my family. This is the place where the battle is won. Sometimes I just don't know what to pray. In those moments I open the Word of God, usually to the Psalms, and I just pray/read them. The more we commune with the King of Kings in our secret place the easier, I believe, praying in the public place becomes. It is no longer about me and my image. It's about him and my love and prayers being a sweet incense before his throne.

I want to challenge you and your ladies to try to pray out loud daily in your tent time. It may be awkward or uncomfortable at first, but persevere in it. Try praying a Psalm out loud, or one of Paul's prayers in Ephesians or Philippians. These are great places to start! We already know these prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit. Remember this, YOUR prayers are like sweet smelling incense to Jesus even if they don't feel that way. He loves to hear your voice! It is lovely to him!!

Dear Father,

Thank you that we can come to you through prayer. Thank you that you hear us when we call to you and that you say our prayers are sweet to you, like incense. I pray that you would help each lady involved in Women's Ministry at Oldham Campus to grow in their prayer life. I pray that wherever they are that you take them one step deeper and closer to you during the rest of this study. That we would become a community of people who pray with reckless abandon. Because you are worthy to receive the prayers and praise of your people! So that we can see your glory manifest throughout Oldham County and beyond. That you would awaken our souls to the truth of how you can and will move if we will come before you and pray. That we would lay aside all that hinders us to run the race toward you and your heart. I pray the enemy would not be able to blind our minds with lies of fear and insecurities. I pray your Holy Spirit would speak the bold truth of who we are in you!!
For the Glory and Praise of YOUR name!
Amen