November 16 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

When the seventh seal is opened, we expect to reach the summit. One by one the seven seals of the scroll are broken. Now comes the last one, the seventh, the number of fullness. But when the seventh seal is opened, nothing happens: "There was silence in heaven for about half an hour."

A great hush falls on the host of heaven. The choirs, which never tire of singing their hallelujahs, become quiet. No peals of thunder issue from the throne. And during this awe-inspiring stillness of heaven, the prayers of God's children rise to the throne of God.

Here we receive the assurance that God listens to our prayers. We need that certainty. Anyone who has ever prayed knows about the "psychological" help that we derive from this activity. If we unburden ourselves before God, we become calm. The first result of prayer is the emotional relief of "having said it all" to the Father. But that's not enough.

What assurance do we have that praying is more than our response to the very human need for a father-confessor? We need to know that there is someone who listens to our prayers.

This the Bible tells us in many places—but here in a very striking way. Our prayers reach the ears of God himself! Heaven becomes all ears because the saints are praying. "There was silence in heaven." Not only are we assured that God listens to the prayers of the saints—that's right, our prayers!—we are told that these prayers play a role in God's coming with judgment and salvation. God is moved to action by the prayers of his people.

When these prayers have gone from earth to heaven, an answer comes from heaven to earth (v. 5): "peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake"—all signs of the terror of God's coming. And if you think this answer does not fit your prayers, think again. What are you saying when you ask the Father to hallow his name and make his kingdom come? That's the kind of prayer to which heaven listens with breathless attention.

REFLECTIONS

How will this Scripture passage and reading affect your prayer life?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.