Stealth Prayers

Stealh prayers?  Prayers are invisible to us anyway.   If we could see in the heavenlies, prayers have mass, substance, even colors . After all, John in his vision of Heaven, saw the prayers of the Saints in  Revelations 5:8 

He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Isn't that interesting?  God not only hears your prayer, God sees it too.  Jesus described us in Matthew 5 as light.  "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  You're shiny!

If we could put our heavenly faith-binoculars on, we might look something like this picture when we pray.  Ok, now I have to explain why this post has the title 'Stealth Prayers".   Well, all of us have many challenges to contend with.   I like what the Apostle Paul explained to Timothy in his first letter to him..

Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, ¹⁹ holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. ²⁰ Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

Paul didn't handle these two problem people with physical processes.   How do you think Paul accomplished this?  This change of status for Hymenaeus and Alexander  came as a surprise... stealthily.

Is this change of circumstances the only biblical example? See 2nd Kings 19.

When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. ² He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. ³ They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. ⁴ It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

 ⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

As hard as we all try to live and let live, many of us have enemies.   As Christians, we have been forbidden to seek our own revenge.   That does not leave us without options.  I don't know who needs to hear this today.   Stealth prayers accomplish the goal of both defensively keeping us intact AND delivering a powerful response to those who hate us.

I end this with a powerful promise from God in Isaiah 54:

See, it is I who created the blacksmith  who fans the coals into flame
   and forges a weapon fit for its work.

And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc;
 ¹⁷ no weapon forged against you will prevail,  and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. 

This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,   and this is their vindication from me,”    declares the LORD