“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.  Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.” (Revelation 8:2-3) 

     The seven trumpets warn of coming judgment and call people to repentance.  This is not only a warning, but "the prayers of all God's people" were offered before the heavenly temple.  This will happen during the Tribulation, but we have a practical application today.  God has chosen to make the prayers of his people part of the exercise of his will; these prayers have the power to shape the course of human history. 

     It is not hard to see how people have turned away from God.  Prayer is needed, and as we reach out to our Lord, we can ask him to search the hearts and minds of those who need to repent:

Prayer: Dear Lord, when we invited you into our lives, you gave us the opportunity to repent, and with your power, our lives were changed.  We pray for those who need to repent, because we are concerned not just for our future, but also theirs.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.