Has God’s voice been calling you to revival? The Bible is full of promises for you:
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32).
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
Wherever you are in life right now, God is closer than you think. He wants to pour out His blessings on your family, your church, your community, and your world. Join us now in responding to the three angels’ call to prayer.
We have provided a prayer guide for each of the ten days. Each guide includes a Bible passage, devotional reading, Bible texts to pray through, prayer suggestions, and song suggestions. We recommend that you copy the daily guides so each participant can have one to follow during the prayer time.
Churches around the world will unite in praying about each day’s topic. Join them in praying through the verses and prayer requests, but don’t feel that you must rush through the entire list of prayer suggestions. You may want to divide into small groups and have each group pray for a portion of your prayer requests.
We also included a document called World Church Prayer Requests. It’s important to pray together for our world church family, but you may want to spend extra time praying for local needs if your group includes visitors from the community. Pray about how you can best welcome guests and make them feel a part of your group.
Keep your prayer time simple so the group can focus on actually praying. How much time you spend on each section will vary. The following guide is just a suggestion:
Encourage each person to pray consistently for five to seven people that God has placed in their life. They can be relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or simply acquaintances. Encourage them to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in choosing these names and in reaching out to these people during the ten days. You may want to provide some cards or pieces of paper on which people can record the names they will be praying for.
Have a special prayer focus and share testimonies of answered prayer during the church services on both Sabbaths. Be creative—there are many ways to share with the church family what is happening during the daily prayer meetings.
The final Sabbath should be designed as a time of great rejoicing in all that God has done throughout the ten days. Include ample time for testimonies of answered prayer, biblical teaching/preaching on prayer, and singing. Lead the congregation in a time of prayer so that those who have not attended the daily meetings can experience the joy of praying with others. Please see the Sabbath Celebration handout for more ideas.
Pray about how God wants your church/group to continue what He has begun during Ten Days of Prayer. Perhaps you will continue with a weekly prayer session. Or perhaps God wants you to begin a new ministry in your church or an outreach to the community. Be open and follow where God leads. You’re sure to be amazed as you walk with Him. The document called Outreach Challenge is filled with ideas for service.
Please share stories of how God has worked through Ten Days of Prayer! Your stories will be an encouragement to many others. Testimonies may be submitted online at www.tendaysofprayer.org.
United Prayer Pointers
When someone prays a request to God, be sure some others pray for that same request and agree together—this is powerful! Don’t think that because one person has prayed about the request, no one else needs to. “Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). How encouraging it is to be lifted up in prayer!
Encourage the group to claim God’s promises as they pray. It is so easy to focus on our problems. But when we claim God’s promises, we increase our faith and remind ourselves that nothing is impossible with God. The promises help us take our eyes off our weaknesses and difficulties and set them on Jesus. For every weakness and every struggle, we can find Bible promises to claim. Encourage people to search for more promises and write them down so they can claim them in the future.
Invite those joining you in Ten Days of Prayer to consider some type of fasting, such as fasting from TV, secular music, movies, the Internet, sweets, or other types of food that are hard to digest. Use the extra time to pray and study the Bible, asking God to help you and your congregation to abide more fully in Christ. By adopting a simple diet, we allow our minds to become more receptive to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
Be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to pray for in a person’s life or in a particular situation. The Bible tells us that we do not know what to pray for and that the Holy Spirit is the one making intercession for us.
“We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when it is said that the Spirit ‘maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.’ (Romans 8:26). Such prayer God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer ‘exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 3:20)” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147, emphasis supplied).
Keeping a prayer journal during the Ten Days of Prayer can help participants to internalize the daily prayer theme, make concrete commitments to God, and recognize His blessings. Writing out our prayers and keeping a record of God’s answers is a proven path to encouragement.
If you wish, you might provide time during the prayer meeting for people to journal their responses to God in private prayer journals. Or you could keep a group journal of prayer requests and answers—either in a notebook, on a large poster, or online. It is exciting and faith-building to look back and see how God has answered prayers!
Encourage and model a reverent attitude. We are approaching the throne room of the King of the universe. Let’s not treat this prayer time carelessly in our posture or mannerisms. However, it is not necessary that everyone kneel continuously. You want people to be comfortable for an hour, so encourage everyone to kneel or sit or stand as God leads and as they are comfortable.
Prayers should be short and to the point. This gives others an opportunity to pray as well. Try to limit your prayers to a few sentences. Each person can pray multiple times. Short sentence prayers keep the prayer time interesting and allow the Holy Spirit to impress the group how to pray. You don’t need to open and close each short sentence prayer with phrases such as “Dear God” and “Amen.” It is an ongoing conversation with God.
As a leader, don’t dominate the prayer time. The goal is to get others praying. Times of silence are wonderful, as they give God time to speak to our hearts. Allow the Holy Spirit to work and give everyone time to pray.
Spontaneous group songs, mingled between prayers, add beauty to the prayer meeting. Suggested songs are listed at the end of each theme sheet. Do not feel that you need to use all the songs—these are simply suggestions. Singing is also a good way to transition from one prayer section to another.
Taking Prayer Requests
Don’t ask for prayer requests from the group. Instead, tell people to pray their requests and encourage others to join in agreement and prayer for those requests. Here’s why: time! Talking about the requests will take up most of your prayer time. Satan is thrilled if he can keep us talking about the problem instead of praying about the problem. Group members will often begin counseling and suggesting solutions. The power is from God! The more we pray, the more His power is unleashed.
This is so important! Make sure that you as a leader are spending time daily at the feet of Jesus, talking with Him and reading His Word. If you will make knowing God a first priority in your life, it will open such a beautiful experience to you. “From the secret place of prayer came the power that shook the world in the Great Reformation. There, with holy calmness, the servants of the Lord set their feet upon the rock of His promises” (The Great Controversy, p. 210). When a leader prays, God works on hearts!
Welcome to Ten Days of Prayer 2022! We believe prayer is the birthplace of revival. God has worked so many miracles in past years as we have sought Him together in prayer and fasting. The Holy Spirit has brought about conversions, renewed passion for evangelism, revived churches, and healed relationships. Here are just a few testimonies from previous years:
The Ten Days of Prayer . . . really changed my life. It was enormous U-turn for me. (Ruth K.)
We were so touched by the lessons. People cried their hearts out to God. We learnt for the first time what it means to pray according to God's promises and to claim Jesus' most precious gift—the Holy spirit. (Moureen K.)
Before the Ten Days of Prayer, many people in my church were sick. But amidst the week of prayer, they got healed! In addition, seven souls gave their lives to Jesus Christ and were baptized! (Mugabe G.)
Has God’s voice been calling you to revival? The Bible is full of promises for you:
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32).
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).
Wherever you are in life right now, God is closer than you think. He wants to pour out His blessings on your family, your church, your community, and your world!
This year we invite you to seek revival and reformation through the power of the Holy Spirit during Ten Days of Prayer. As you pray through the three angels’ messages, may they shine with new relevance and lead you and your prayer group into a deeper experience with Jesus.
God wants to do incredible things in our lives and churches today. His plans go far beyond our own capabilities, and only with a constant prayer connection to Him can we carry out the task He has prepared. He bids us, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).
Join us in praying for revival, a renewed commitment to our end-time calling, and the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit!
Suggested Guidelines for Prayer Times
Claiming the Promises
It is our privilege to claim God’s promises in our prayers. All His commandments and counsels are also promises. He would never ask from us something that we could not do in His strength.
It is so easy to focus on our needs, our difficulties, our challenges—and to wail and whine about our situation when we pray. This is not the purpose of prayer. Prayer is meant to strengthen our faith. That is why we encourage you to claim God’s promises in your prayer time. Take your eyes off yourself and your weaknesses and look to Jesus. By beholding Him, we become changed into His image.
Ellen White offers this encouragement: “Every promise in the Word of God is for us. In your prayers, present the pledged word of Jehovah and by faith claim His promises. His word is the assurance that if you ask in faith, you will receive all spiritual blessings. Continue to ask, and you will receive exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think” (In Heavenly Places, p. 71).
How can you claim His promises? For instance, when praying for peace, you can claim John 14:27 and say, “Lord, You have told us in Your Word, ‘Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.’ Give me the peace that You promised to leave with us.” Thank the Lord that He is giving you peace, even though you may not feel it right then.
We encourage you to do a Daniel Fast during these ten days. Starting the year with prayer and fasting is a wonderful way to consecrate our lives to God for the upcoming year. Ellen White tells us, “Now and onward till the close of time the people of God should be more earnest, more wide-awake, not trusting in their own wisdom, but in the wisdom of their Leader. They should set aside days for fasting and prayer. Entire abstinence from food may not be required, but they should eat sparingly of the most simple food” (Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 188, 189).
We know about Daniel, who ate fruits and vegetables for ten days. We likewise encourage you to adopt a very simple diet during these ten days. If we want clearer minds for hearing God’s voice, and if we want to draw closer to Him, we need to make sure that our diet is not hindering us.
Fasting is not only about abstaining from food. We also encourage you to fast from TV, movies, computer games, and even Facebook and YouTube. Sometimes things that are not bad in themselves can take so much of our time. Put aside everything possible so you can have more time to spend with the Lord.
Fasting is not a quick way to obtain a miracle from God. Fasting is all about humbling ourselves so God can work in us and through us. Let’s draw closer to Him through prayer and fasting, and He will draw closer to us.
Be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you should pray for in a person’s life or in a particular situation. The Bible tells us that we do not know what to pray for and that the Holy Spirit is the One who intercedes for us.
“We must not only pray in Christ’s name, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This explains what is meant when it is said that the Spirit ‘maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered’ (Romans 8:26). Such prayer God delights to answer. When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer ‘exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 3:20)” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 147).
We read in the Spirit of Prophecy that “prayer and faith will do what no power on earth can accomplish” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 509). We are also told that “for any gift He has promised, we may ask; then we are to believe that we receive, and return thanks to God that we have received” (Education, p. 258). So make a habit of thanking God in advance through faith for what He is going to do and how He is going to answer your prayers.
During these ten days we encourage you to pray consistently for the people God has placed in your life. Choose five to seven people—they can be relatives, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or simply acquaintances. Take some time to ask God whom He would like you to pray for. Ask Him also to give you a real burden for these people. Write the names on a piece of paper and keep it in a prominent place, such as in your Bible. You’ll be amazed at how God works in response to your prayers!
Jesus calls us not only to pray but also to serve the practical needs of those around us. “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35, 36).
In The Ministry of Healing we read, “We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work” (p. 512). We have received so much love from our Savior, and we have the privilege of sharing that love with friends, neighbors, and strangers in need.
Ask God how you and your church can serve others after Ten Days of Prayer. As you work to organize service activities, avoid letting the arrangements distract you from praying. “Personal effort for others should be preceded by much secret prayer; for it requires great wisdom to understand the science of saving souls. Before communicating with men, commune with Christ. At the throne of heavenly grace obtain a preparation for ministering to the people” (Prayer, p. 313).
In the online Ten Days of Prayer resources, you’ll find a document with dozens of outreach ideas. Jesus invites you to be His hands and feet to a world in need!
Principal contributor for daily prayer guides: Dr. Mark A. Finley
Materials prepared by Ministerial Association, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are quoted from The New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
The principal contributor for the 2022 prayer guides is Dr. Mark A. Finley. He is a former speaker/director for It Is Written and a retired General Conference vice president. He is still active as an evangelist and has presented more than 150 evangelistic series in more than 80 countries, as well as 17 NET series broadcasts throughout the world. He presents regularly at conventions, field schools, and evangelism institutes. He has written more than 70 books and numerous other publications, including Bible studies, articles, and evangelistic resources. He and his wife, Ernestine “Teenie,” have three grown children: Deborah, Rebecca, and Mark, Jr. Today Pastor Finley and Teenie continue their ministry at the Living Hope School of Evangelism Training Center in Haymarket, Virginia.
For more resources on the topic of the three angels’ messages, please visit www.threeangels.info.
Consider holding an all-night prayer service as part of Ten Days of Prayer. For example, you could begin at 6:00 p.m. and finish at 6:00 a.m. Choose a schedule that’s suitable for your group.
There is nothing “holy” in staying awake and praying all night. However, night might be the only time when people are not busy or in a rush. We believe that your purpose should not be to stay up the whole night but to pray as long as necessary and until you have prayed for everything you feel God wants you to pray for.
We suggest that several people lead out during the night. Be sure to have some breaks. As a leader, you can sense the atmosphere and know when a break is needed and when you need to move on to the next section of prayer. You can also incorporate the reading of Bible passages into your prayer time. You may want to do all of the suggested items or only some of them, depending on what is best for your group. Feel free to change the order.
Start with a session of praise. Praise God in your prayers and also through songs.
Take some time for confession, making sure that nothing is hindering God from hearing you. Give people time for private confession and have a time of corporate confession. Encourage the people to confess private sins privately and to confess publicly only the public sins. In Daniel 9:1-19 we read about Daniel, who interceded and publicly confessed the sins of God’s people.
Pray for the needs of people who are at the prayer meeting. So many people are hurting or in need of prayer, or know someone else who is in desperate need of prayer. Make a circle, put a chair in the middle, and invite those who have a special prayer request to come one by one and share their requests. Then gather around the person and have two or three people pray for the person’s specific need and claim God’s promises.
Divide the group in two. Have the females pray in one room (with a female leader) and the males in another room (with a male leader). Many personal needs cannot and should not be shared with everyone. It is easier to share with those of the same gender.
After you come back together, pray for needs in your community and church. Also take time for world church prayer requests (listed in a separate document in the Ten Days of Prayer materials). Don’t feel that you must rush through the entire list. You may want to divide into small groups and have each group pray for part of the list.
Pray for the list of five to seven people you have been praying for during these ten days.
Choose a Bible passage and pray through it.
Close the prayer time with another session of praise and thanksgiving.
Jesus calls us not only to pray but also to serve the spiritual and physical needs of those around us. “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35, 36).
In The Ministry of Healing we read, “We must live a twofold life—a life of thought and action, of silent prayer and earnest work” (p. 512). We have received so much love from our Savior, and we have the privilege of sharing that love with friends, neighbors, and strangers in need.
Ask God how you and your church can serve others after the Ten Days of Prayer. As you work to organize the service activities, avoid letting the arrangements distract you from praying. “Personal effort for others should be preceded by much secret prayer; for it requires great wisdom to understand the science of saving souls. Before communicating with men, commune with Christ. At the throne of heavenly grace obtain a preparation for ministering to the people” (Prayer, p. 313).
Here are some ways of helping others. Choose whatever fits the needs of your community, and feel free to add your own ideas.
For more resources on witnessing, visit www.revivalandreformation.org/resources/witnessing.
All Scriptures taken from NKJV
Promises for the Holy Spirit
Promises that God Answers Prayers
Promises About God’s Power
Promises for God’s Guidance
Promises for a Changed Heart
Promises for Forgiveness
Promises for Victory Over Sin
Promises for Healing
Promises for Strength to Do God’s Will
Promises About Being God’s Witnesses
The world’s population is exploding. The latest population figures reveal that our world has 7.8 billion people crowded onto this spinning globe called Earth as it catapults through space at 67,000 miles per hour. With approximately 385,000 babies born each day, or 140 million each year, we wonder how we can ever reach this world with the good news of the gospel and Christ’s soon return. Each year nearly seven times more people are born than are currently members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Or consider the challenge another way. The world’s cities are growing rapidly. There are at least 548 cities with a population of one million or more. Many of these cities are in countries where the Seventh-day Adventist Church has very little presence. The daunting task of reaching this world with the three angels’ messages looms large before us. Millions are dying without Christ and a knowledge of the good news of salvation and the hope of His second coming. The task before us at times seems impossible—and this should drive us to our knees in earnest prayer.
No amount of human effort is sufficient to reach our world for Christ. Human plans are powerless unless they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit will this world be reached with heaven’s end-time message. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can millions in the great cities of this world be reached. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can unentered countries resistant to the gospel be reached. Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can our communities be reached. And the incredibly good news is that God is already working in these “difficult to reach” places. He invites us to seek Him for the power to accomplish the task before us.
Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Notice the expression “how much more” in this text. Jesus wants to do much more for us personally and much more for His church than we can possibly imagine. He urges us to ask for the Holy Spirit, to plead for the Spirit, to seek the Spirit’s blessing with our whole heart—not because He is unwilling to give it but because we are unprepared to receive it. As we begin these ten days of prayer this year, let’s claim this promise together.
“The promise of the Holy Spirit is not limited to any age or to any race. Christ declared that the divine influence of His Spirit was to be with His followers unto the end. From the Day of Pentecost to the present time, the Comforter has been sent to all who have yielded themselves fully to the Lord and to His service” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 49).
Let’s pray together.
“I am thankful for the Ten Days of Prayer. I'm feeling like a fire has been reignited in me. I am spending more time in the Bible and with the Lord. . . . I thank and praise God for opening my eyes, my heart, and my mind to fully accept Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life.” (Constance)
A Powerful Promise
“‘If two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father which is in Heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Matthew 18:19, 20). ‘Ask of Me, and I will answer your requests.’ The promise is made on condition that the united prayers of the church are offered, and in answer to these prayers there may be expected a power greater than that which comes in answer to private prayer. The power given will be proportionate to the unity of the members and their love for God and for one another” (Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 303).
All prayer groups have different ways of praying together. We encourage you to spend the next 30-45 minutes in united prayer, in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads. Below are some examples of praying through Scripture. You may pray through other passages also. See the Leader’s Guide for other prayer ideas.
“How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
“How Much More”
God, You are good. You desire my good, much more than even the most loving parent ever could. You know me in my inmost being and heart, and You alone understand how to restore, heal, and transform me.
“The Holy Spirit”
Jesus, thank You for the promise of the Holy Spirit. He brings the blessings of God into our lives. He glorifies You in our hearts. He applies the benefits of the salvation You wrought on Calvary in our lives. Thank You for this gift!
“Who Ask Him”
Father, I claim the promise of Luke 11:13 today. Daily I will joyfully ask You to fill my life with the present, the presence, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Please clear out of my life everything that stands in the way of complete surrender to You. Baptize me and my church with the Holy Spirit so we can glorify Jesus in a world that needs You.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Spirit of the Living God (#672); Sweet, Sweet Spirit (#262); Fill My Cup, Lord (#493); Sweet Hour of Prayer (#478); Come, Holy Spirit (#269).
God has given this planet a message of utmost importance designed especially for our time in the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14:6-12. Exiled on the Isle of Patmos, the apostle John introduces us to these messages. We must carefully consider three points before we look at the message itself. First, it is of divine origin. It comes directly from the throne of God. It is pictured as being given to humanity by an angel flying in midheaven. The second point to notice about this message is that the angel “flies.” This message is urgent. It must be proclaimed without delay. And thirdly, it is an eternal message that applies to every generation. It is not culturally conditioned to reach one ethnic or language group. It must be proclaimed to “every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.”
The heart of this message is the “everlasting gospel,” or the good news of Christ’s self-sacrificial life, His loving ministry, His atoning death, His dramatic resurrection, His interceding high priestly ministry, and His glorious second coming. The vision of the everlasting gospel in Revelation 14 confirms Jesus’ words in Matthew 24: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Christ’s words are a promise that the “gospel will be preached in all the world” before His return. There will be a mighty revival among God’s people. They will rise to the challenge, realize the urgency of the hour, and, filled with the Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus’ love, grace, and truth to a sin-polluted world dying in sin.
Ellen White states it this way, “Before the final visitation of God's judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children. At that time many will separate themselves from those churches in which the love of this world has supplanted love for God and His Word. Many, both of ministers and people, will gladly accept those great truths which God has caused to be proclaimed at this time to prepare a people for the Lord’s second coming” (The Great Controversy, p. 464).
Before the message of Revelation 14 is proclaimed to the entire world, a spiritual revival among God’s people will enable them to cooperate with God in finishing His work. Let’s pray together for that spiritual revival to take place in our own lives, preparing us for the final climactic events of Earth’s history.
“The Ten Days of Prayer led to a healing miracle for me. I was admitted to the hospital due to a sudden illness prior to the start of the Ten Days of Prayer. I felt hopeless, like my prayers weren’t enough because my condition seemed to be worsening each day. I was invited to join the Ten Days of Prayer on my hospital bed. It was my first time participating. In the nightly meetings through a Zoom video call, many prayed for my healing. I praise God for the wonderful souls who fervently prayed for each of our prayer requests every night. . . . God has been so gracious to me because I was discharged even before the Ten Days of Prayer ended. It was His healing power that made me whole. I was sick and He touched me. It was indeed an answered prayer!” (Harley).
“Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people.”
“The Everlasting Gospel”
God, give me an ever-growing appreciation for the gospel message. Give me the joy of salvation and transform my life so that when others see me, they can see the power of the gospel at work and be drawn to Jesus.
“To Preach to Those Who Dwell on the Earth”
Father, I desire a gospel experience with You so that I may share this good news with others in words and deeds. Use me to witness to my family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and people in my sphere of influence.
“To Every Nation”
This world is coming to an end, and billions are in the dark. Jesus, please give me an opportunity this week to share the good news about Your offer of salvation with somebody else. Give me the tact and wisdom to witness to people of other nations, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities. Thank You that You call every human being to believe in You.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Seeking the Lost (#373); More About Jesus (#245); At the Cross (#163); Tell Me the Story of Jesus (#152); Blessed Assurance (#462); Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary (#476); Holy, Holy, Holy (#73)
The three angels’ messages are an urgent appeal to mission. The seemingly impossible task of reaching the world with the gospel is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. The challenge of mission at the end time is similar to the challenge faced by the New Testament church in the book of Acts. The promise of the Spirit is given to us just as it was given to them by Jesus in Acts 1:8: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the New Testament Church impacted the world. Tens of thousands accepted Christ as Messiah and were baptized.
The book of Acts reveals the intimate relationship between a praying church and a Spirit-filled witnessing church. Acts 1:14 states, “these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” In Acts 2:42 they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 4:31 adds, “and when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Notice three things in this last passage. The believers prayed, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the result was they spoke the Word of God with boldness or—better translated—with confidence. Prayer, the Holy Spirit, and mission are a united whole.
Commenting on the disciples’ experience, Ellen White observes, “We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the Day of Pentecost. If they needed it at that time, we need it more today” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, p. 158). What divine insight! If the disciples needed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to reach their world with the gospel, we are in much more need of the Holy Spirit’s power. The world is larger, more complex, and more godless today.
This is the time to seek God in prayer for the limitless power of the Spirit to accomplish the otherwise impossible. Ellen White writes, ”The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the church is looked forward to as in the future, but it is the privilege of the church to have it now. Seek for it, pray for it, believe for it. We must have it, and Heaven is waiting to bestow it” (Evangelism, p. 701).
May we all seek the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the proclamation of the three angels’ messages in this generation. Let’s seek God together in prayer for this mighty outpouring of His Spirit.
“I spent a great deal of my adult life trying to find joy in the things of this world. I kept telling myself that if I could get the right man, right job, lose weight, I’d finally find my happiness. Little did I realize that the more I offered myself to the altars of this world, was the more I felt depleted and empty. I have always received the Ten Days of Prayer materials via email, but honestly never went through the whole ten days. I was too busy hewing out my own broken cisterns while the Fountain of Living Water was nearby! This time I resolved to try Jesus and to take Him at His word. What an incredible ten days this has been! Like Mary at Joseph of Arimathea’s sepulchre, I saw Jesus and I tell you He is alive! Christ has given me a new perspective on prayer, obedience, and faith. I gave my heart to the Lord again after confessing my sins and have asked Him to abide with me. I now have so much to live for!” (Thuto)
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
“You Shall Receive Power”
God, I know that I am incapable and powerless when it comes to fulfilling the three angels’ mission You have given us. It is too big and humanly impossible. I thank You for the promise of Holy Spirit power. I recognize my great need for a daily baptism of the Spirit and trust in Your promise to empower those who put their trust in You.
“You Shall Be My Witnesses”
Jesus, I thank You for making me a witness of Your love, truth, and transformational power. Please give me the courage to share what You have done for me with those around me in these last days of Earth’s history. Give me ever more opportunities to witness for You and tell others how magnificent You are.
“To the End of the Earth”
Father, I recognize that my mission field begins at home and expands to my neighborhood, my community, my village and city, and to the whole world. Show me how I can join Your mission where I am today and how I can support the gospel work across the world.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: As We Come to You in Prayer (#671); Showers of Blessing (#195); Be Thou My Vision (#547); He Leadeth Me (#537); When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (#154); Take My Life and Let It Be (#330); Work for the Night Is Coming (#375)
The New Testament church exploded in growth. In answer to earnest, heartfelt prayer the Holy Spirit was poured out in mighty power. Three thousand were baptized in one place on a single day. In Acts 4 the record states that “many who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand” (Acts 4:4). If we include women and children, the number of believers a few short months after Pentecost would have surely numbered 15,000–20,000. Throughout the book of Acts the church continued to grow rapidly. Acts 6 declares that many priests or religious leaders were obedient to the faith (verse 7). The narrative tells the story of Philip’s preaching in Samaria, Paul’s missionary journeys throughout the Mediterranean world, Peter’s studying the Scriptures with Cornelius, and believers filled with the Holy Spirit and sharing Christ’s message everywhere. The impact of the gospel was so great that the apostle Paul could declare that the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven (Colossians 1:23).
The experience of the New Testament church is instructive to the church today as we wait for the coming of our Lord. What was the key to their success? Why did the church in the New Testament grow so rapidly? Let’s examine just a few reasons. The New Testament church saturated everything they did in prayer. They lived life totally dedicated to and dependent on God. They recognized that they were powerless to accomplish Jesus’ mission without Jesus’ power. Ellen White states it succinctly:
“We need to look constantly to Jesus, realizing that it is His power which does the work. While we are to labor earnestly for the salvation of the lost, we must also take time for meditation, for prayer, and for the study of the word of God. Only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good” (The Desire of Ages, p. 362).
Notice this instruction carefully. It is Christ’s power that accomplishes His work through us. It is not our wisdom, our intellect, our charisma, or our knowledge. The wisdom for soulwinning comes from Jesus. The power to change lives is Christ’s and Christ’s alone. In the final analysis, only the work accomplished with much prayer and sanctified by the merit of Christ will prove to have been efficient for good. God’s mission must be accomplished God’s way.
Is there a loved one you long to see in the kingdom of God? Is there a friend or co-worker who needs Jesus? Is there someone you know who once walked with God’s people but has drifted away? Write their names on a plain piece of paper and place that paper in your Bible right at 1 John 5:14-17. Each day claim the promise of God in behalf of your loved ones. Right now, let’s spend a few moments asking God to bring people to our minds that He would have us witness to, and then let’s kneel together to pray for them.
“We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.”
“Praying Always”
Lord, we confess that we have not spent enough time in prayer. So often we rely on our own wisdom and our own plans in all that we do. And when it comes to fulfilling Your mission, we do not seek Your guidance enough. Please forgive us. Help us to be a praying church and a church that relies on You for success and not on human ideas and plans. Convert our prayer life and bring revival to us.
“Your Faith in Christ Jesus”
Lord, we realize that only the work accomplished with much prayer, and sanctified by the merit of Christ, will in the end prove to have been efficient for good. Please help us to make sincere and intense prayer a higher priority in all mission efforts and activities of our church, but also in our personal lives and families. Increase our faith in Your ability to fulfill Your promises to us.
“Your Love for All the Saints”
God of Love, You created us with an eternal capacity to grow in Your love. Thank You for pouring out Your love into our hearts so that we in turn may be enabled to love those around us.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Open My Eyes (#326); Love at Home (#652); Give of Your Best to the Master (#572); I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go (#573); So Send I You (#578); Bringing in the Sheaves (#369); Rescue the Perishing (#367)
The three angels’ messages call us to a life of obedience. The first angel’s message declares, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). The New Testament was written in the Greek language and the word for fear used in this text can also be translated respect, reverence, or honor. It is an attitude of loyalty to God, a mental ascent to be obedient to His will. The wise man states it this way: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).
When we think of keeping God’s commandments it is very easy to reflect on our weaknesses, our frailty, and our inability to do what we in our inmost souls desire. Too often we desire to do right but fail to find the strength to carry out those desires. With the apostle Paul we must acknowledge, “For what I am doing I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15). What was the apostle’s solution to this dilemma? At the end of the chapter he asks the question, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” And he responds with this positive statement of affirmation: “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24, 25). There is a solution to the problem of constantly failing, repenting, and failing again. Paul says it is Jesus Christ our Lord. We are weak, but He is strong. We are frail, but He is almighty. We are powerless, but He is all-powerful. Ellen White states it beautifully in an article that she wrote in 1897:
“Christ's example shows us that our only hope of victory is in continual resistance of Satan’s attacks. He who triumphed over the adversary of souls in the conflict with temptation understands Satan’s power over the race, and has conquered in our behalf. As an overcomer, He has given us the advantage of His victory, that in our efforts to resist the temptations of Satan, we may unite our weakness to His strength, our worthlessness to His merits. And, sustained by His enduring might, under strong temptation, we may resist in His all-powerful name and overcome as He overcame” (Signs of the Times, May 27, 1897)..
We become overcomers in the Christian life when we focus on Christ’s power, not our weakness. As we enter into prayer, let’s claim the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15: “Now this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we that we have asked Him.” As we claim this promise by faith, Jesus will do marvelous things and strengthen us to live godly lives as we prepare for His soon return.
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”
“Fear God”
Lord, we recognize that You are the Creator God, almighty, all-powerful, all-knowing. You are beyond our limited human comprehension, and yet You are closer to us than even our closest loved ones. We are in awe of Your majesty, and we worship You and desire to honor You with our lives.
“Keep His Commandments”
God, we have no ability inside of us to keep Your commandments, to be in harmony with Your will. Only Jesus can help us. We desire to do Your will, to be faithful, but so often we have failed. Thank You that Jesus has the power to bring victory into our lives. We look to Him and surrender ourselves into His faithful hands. Jesus, we ask that You live out Your life within us.
“Every Secret Thing Whether Good or Evil”
Father, I realize that nothing is hidden from You. You know my heart, You know my ups and downs. You are also fully aware of everything that happens all around the world. Thank You that despite how I might feel, Your thoughts toward me are full of love and grace, and I do not have to fear the judgment as I abide in Jesus.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal:Power in the Blood (#294); O Let Me Walk With Thee (#554); Have Thine Own Way (#567); I Surrender All (#309); All the Way My Savior Leads Me (#516); Nothing Between (#322); Take Time to Be Holy (#500); More Love to Thee (#458)
Revelation’s first angel’s message announces, “the hour of [God’s] judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). In the blazing light of eternity, the reality of heaven’s divine judgment leads us to prayerfully seek a deeper relationship with God. The judgment in Heaven’s sanctuary was foreshadowed by the Day of Atonement in ancient Israel. On the antitypical Day of Atonement in the Old Testament sanctuary system, all Israel gathered around the sanctuary, confessing their sins and seeking God’s forgiveness. Leviticus 23:29 emphatically states, “For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.” To afflict the soul was to seek God in repentance and confession, asking Him for the power to live a godly life.
The honor and reputation of God is at stake in heaven’s final judgment. Questions about His character have been raised before the universe. Is God fair? Are His commands impossible to keep? Is He both loving and just? In the judgment God will reveal that He has done everything possible to save all humanity. There is nothing more He could have done. His grace is sufficient for all. It is a grace that saves us from both the penalty and power of sin. It is a grace that pardons our past and empowers our present.
The urgency of the judgment hour message leads us to a deep relationship with Christ. We long to honor His name and do nothing that would tarnish His reputation. We need not fear the judgment, for Christ is our Advocate, our Trial Attorney, and our Judge (John 5:22). In Christ we are sons and daughters of the King of the Universe, part of the royal family of heaven. The prophet Daniel pictures Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary appearing before the Father in our behalf in heaven’s final judgment. Tens of thousands of heavenly beings press into this courtroom scene. The great controversy between good and evil will soon end. God’s name—His character—will be exalted before the universe (Daniel 7:9-14). It will be seen that He is both merciful and just, that He has given heaven’s most precious gift in Jesus.
Through the ceaseless ages of eternity, we will exclaim, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved ” (Ephesians 1:3-6).
In our prayer time today, let us examine our own hearts and ask God to reveal anything not in harmony with His will. Let us ask Him to cleanse us from those deep and hidden sins and then thank Him for His grace, His forgiveness, and His power to overcome. Most of all, let us thank Him for Jesus.
“Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come.”
“Fear God”
God, we worship You. You are worthy of all honor and glory. You, the Majesty of Heaven, the Creator God, You the Eternal One—we are in awe of You. Nothing can contain You.
“Give Glory to Him”
God, it is marvelous to think that You desire to reveal Yourself, Your character of love, through me. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit and bring forth the glory You deserve. Live in and through me and give me Your victory over sin. Empower me to live in harmony with Your will.
“The Hour of His Judgment Has Come”
Jesus, thank You for the judgment. Thank You that the judgment is for us and that You will restore justice to this universe. Thank You that You are our Advocate and Our High Priest and that Your righteousness provides us with the assurance we need to stand with heads lifted in joyful thankfulness to You. Remind us of the urgency of the times we are living in and help us to point as many people as we can to find their eternal redemption in You.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Standing on the Promises (#518); I Will Sing of My Redeemer (#343); Redeemed (#338); Marching to Zion (#422); It Is Well With My Soul (#530); He Hideth My Soul (#520); Faith Is the Victory (#608); Day of Judgment, Day of Wonders (#418)
The three angels’ messages are a clarion call to worship our Creator. We did not evolve. We are not a genetic accident. God created us, and life is a precious gift that comes from Jesus. The apostle John states, “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11). It is an awe-inspiring thought to recognize that we exist by the will of God. The Sabbath reminds us that we were created for a purpose. It takes us back to our garden home in Eden and reminds us of a loving Creator who desires only good for our lives. In a world of suffering, sickness, and disease, the God of Creation promises to “never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). This fact alone should drive us to our knees in praise to God for the gift of life and to discover the specific plans He has for our lives.
The Sabbath also reminds us of the gift of salvation. As we rest upon the Sabbath, we rest in Christ’s finished work in our behalf (Hebrews 4:9, 10). We rest in His grace. The Sabbath is not a legalistic requirement given to the nation of Israel. It is a grace-filled day for all humanity, leading us to depend solely and completely on Christ for our redemption (Isaiah 56:6, 7). Jesus ended the Creation week with the words, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from His work which He had done” (Genesis 2:1, 2). He also culminated His work on the cross with the words, “It is finished.” We had nothing to do with the creative work of Christ at the beginning. He began the work, and He finished it. Likewise, we had nothing to do with Christ’s work of redemption on the cross. He began the work of salvation, and He finished it. The Sabbath reminds us to rejoice in His love, rest in His care, and glory in the Christ who paid such a high price for our salvation. The Sabbath is a call to prayer, a call to praise, a call to proclaim His goodness.
The Sabbath also reminds us we are not alone in a desolate world of sorrow. The beauties of nature still speak of our Creator God during this world’s suffering. The Sabbath points us back to Creation, but it also points us forward to the new heavens and the new earth, where God will re-create this world in Edenic splendor.
The Sabbath is a day of thanksgiving. We are thankful God created us and has plans for our lives. We are thankful He redeemed us and has paid such an infinite price for us. We are thankful He is coming again for us and will create a new heaven and a new earth. Let us seek Him with thankful hearts as we pray.
“Even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
“Even to Them”
God, You created all of us. You willed us into existence and desire eternal fellowship with us. Yes, You long for the salvation of all of humanity. Every nation and tribe and people group. We praise You! Thank You for the weekly Sabbath which reminds us of this reality.
“Everyone Who Keeps from Defiling the Sabbath”
Lord, too often have we broken the Sabbath or not kept it holy. Please forgive us. Please help us to guard the Sabbath hours and to especially acknowledge and uplift You during the Sabbath. Open our eyes and ears to know and do Your will every day, so that we may celebrate and testify of Your faithfulness throughout the week on the Sabbath.
“And Holds Fast My Covenant”
Jesus, thank You that the Sabbath is not only a sign and opportunity to remember You as our Creator but also a sign of salvation. Thank You that we can rest in the assurance of Your righteousness, which covers and fills us as we hold fast to Your covenant promises. May our Sabbath-keeping be a reflection of a daily experience of Your faithfulness to us.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Crowning Jewel of Creation (#385); Don’t Forget the Sabbath (#388); O Day of Rest and Gladness (#383); Wonderful Words of Life (#286); Jesus, Lover of My Soul (#490); Higher Ground (#625); How Sweet Are the Tidings (#442); Marching to Zion (#422)
The three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 are specifically designed to prepare a people for the coming of Jesus. They reveal the plans of God and unmask the plans of the devil. The second angel’s message gives this solemn warning: “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (Revelation 14:8). Just as ancient Babylon warred against God in rebellion against His commands, spiritual Babylon stands in rebellion against God. She passes around her “wine cup” of false doctrines to deceive millions. Ellen White describes Babylon this way: “The great sin charged against Babylon is that she ‘made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ This cup of intoxication which she presents to the world represents the false doctrines that she has accepted as the result of her unlawful connection with the great ones of the earth. Friendship with the world corrupts her faith, and in her turn she exerts a corrupting influence upon the world by teaching doctrines which are opposed to the plainest statements of Holy Writ” (The Great Controversy, p. 388). Fornication is an illicit union. Spiritual Babylon turns from her true lover, Jesus, and unites with the state or the political powers.
This union of church and state, as described in Revelation 17, leads to the enforcement of the mark of the beast. Babylon represents a religious system that distorts Scripture and is centered in human teachings. The second angel’s message, combined with the prophecies of Revelation 17 and Revelation 18, reveals what is coming upon this earth as an overwhelming surprise. The apostate religious powers will unite with the political and economic forces to bring about unity at a time of worldwide crisis and calamity.
The second angel’s message sounds an urgent appeal to prayer in at least three areas. First, it calls us to be faithful to Christ and His word. Compromise in our personal lives will only lead us in the final moments of Earth’s history to unite with Babylon and war against the people of God.
Second, this message calls us to a faith that can stand the test of trial. The prophet of God earnestly appeals to us, “A storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Are we prepared to meet it? We need not say, The perils of the last days are soon to come upon us. Already they have come. We need now the sword of the Lord to cut to the very soul and marrow of fleshly lusts, appetites, and passions. Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. . . . The thoughts must be centered upon God“ (With God at Dawn, p. 113).
Third, this message calls us to invite our friends into a deep relationship with Jesus and an understanding of Revelation’s truths for this final hour. As we kneel to pray, let us pray for these specific things:
“Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
“Babylon is Fallen”
Eternal Father, aside from Your Holy Word, there is nothing in this world that can be trusted to provide a firm and trustworthy foundation for life. Help us to build our lives by Your grace, through Your Spirit, upon Your Word alone.
“She Has Made All Nations Drink”
God, we are privileged to know You and to have an understanding of the truth through Your Word. We also recognize our responsibility because of that. Today we pray for the billions of people trapped in false religions. Help us to show them the truth about who You are and how much You love them and want them to come into the fullness of truth.
“The Wine of The Wrath of Her Fornication”
Jesus, we acknowledge that at times we have been distracted by the numerous illusions and temptations of Satan. Sometimes we stop looking to You and instead focus on self and selfish experiences. Please forgive us. Deliver us from giving in to our carnal nature, and establish in us the victory that only You can provide.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Let Your Heart Be Broken (#575); Once to Every Man and Nation (#606); We Know Not the Hour (#604); Softly and Tenderly (#287); Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus (#290); Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior (#569); Onward, Christian Soldiers (#612); Sound the Battle Cry (#614)
The third and last of the three angels’ messages is one of the most solemn warnings in the Bible. It is one that many people would like to ignore, yet it reveals life-changing spiritual truths that speak to our deepest needs and draw us closer to Jesus. The apostle John writes, “Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb’”(Revelation 14:9, 10).
The first life-changing principle about this warning is that it comes from the heart of a loving God who wants more than anything else to save us in His kingdom. This is a divine message of warning so God’s people will not be caught off guard with the deceptions that are coming.
Secondly, it has to do with worship. The angel says, “If anyone worships the beast.” This is in direct contrast to the first angel’s message in verse 7 to worship the Creator. Worshiping the Creator leads faithful followers of Christ to respond to His love, trust His saving grace, be obedient to His Word, and keep His commandments. Worshiping the beast leads people to live self-centered lives of independence from God in disobedience to His commands. It focuses on self rather than upon Jesus.
This message of the third angel speaks of a time that is coming when church and state will unite under the authority of the papacy to enforce worship on the first day of the week. The final message of the three angels is a call to earnest, heartfelt prayer. The antichrist principle—of pride rather than humility, self-exaltation rather than self-sacrifice for the good of others, and trust in human wisdom rather than the divine inspiration of the Scriptures—is deeply ingrained in our fallen natures. What is the solution to the principles of the beast dwelling in us? There is only one solution, and that is Jesus—His grace, His power, His love filling our hearts and lives. Unless our commitment to Him is stronger than the pull of the world, we will be dominated by the principles of the beast today and will one day accept the beast’s mark. The warning against the mark of the beast in the third angel’s message should drive us to our knees in humble submission to Christ, pleading for His Spirit to purge us thoroughly from within and work the miracle of divine grace in our hearts. It should also lead us to pray for our family, friends, and neighbors, that they too will have hearts open to Christ’s saving last-day message. This message should motivate us to look forward to the day when we will rejoice with Christ around His throne forever (Revelation 19:1-5).
“Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.’”
“If Anyone Worships the Beast and His Image”
God, you are a God who cares, a God who desires for all to be saved and not lost. So many people look to false religions, twisted philosophies, and modern-day idols as their source of strength and fulfillment for the brokenness in their lives. We thank You that You care enough to warn them and that we can play a role in leading them to Jesus as the only true Savior worthy of worship.
“The Wrath of God”
God, it gives us great comfort, that You have holy wrath toward sin, evil, and wickedness. Thank You that You desire to destroy sin forever and will reestablish perfect love, peace, and harmony in the universe one day. Thank You that You clearly showed us through Jesus that You do not want to condemn people but to save them. Thank You for giving every human being a choice and opportunity to embrace salvation in Christ. Please save and protect us from following the antichrist principle of self-exaltation and pride. Instead, lead us to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
“In the Presence of the Lamb”
Jesus, it gives us great comfort to know that in the final judgment it will become evident that Your offer of grace and salvation was not disconnected from justice. Thank You for taking the punishment of all who surrender to You upon Yourself. Thank You that, as hard as it will be to witness the destruction of those who choose to cling to sin, everybody will confess that You have been fair, just, and gracious in all Your dealings.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regionial and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: I Sing the Mighty Power of God (#88); O Worship the King (#83); All That Thrills My Soul (#189); All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (#229); Soldiers of Christ, Arise (#616); O Brother, Be Faithful (#602); On Jordan’s Stormy Banks (#620); Watch, Ye Saints (#598)
The three angels’ messages have one prime purpose, one singular focus: to prepare a people for the coming of Jesus. These divinely inspired messages come to a climax in Revelation 14:12, when John explains the ultimate result of understanding and accepting Heaven’s end-time message. The apostle states that these messages will produce a people of whom it can be written, “Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:12).
The word patience might be better translated endurance. By His grace, God’s people will endure the trials of the last days and come off conquerors. They will face the fury of the beast and not yield their conscientious convictions. Although they are unable to buy or sell and face persecution, imprisonment, and death itself for Christ’s sake, they are obedient to His commands. They cannot be coerced to surrender their loyalty to Christ. They live grace-filled, Christ-exalting, obedient lives in the midst of a sinful, rebellious, disobedient world in Earth’s final hour.
There is something else fascinating about Revelation 14:12. These end-time believers not only have faith in Jesus, they have the faith of Jesus. What is the faith of Jesus? The faith of Jesus is the same quality of faith in God that Jesus had on the cross. When Jesus hung on the cross bearing the guilt, shame, and condemnation of humanity’s sins, He felt abandoned by God. The enormity of sin was so great that Jesus felt God-forsaken. This is why He cried out in agony, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). Had God forsaken Him? Certainly not! His Fatherly eyes were on the cross all the time. His heart of love was broken at the agony His Son was going through. Jesus trusted when He could not see. His faith transcended what was going on around Him. That’s why His final words were, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Just before Jesus returns, according to Revelation’s prophecies, God’s people will once again need to trust when everything around them appears to be against them. What is it that will take them through this trying time? It is the “faith of Jesus.” How do we develop this faith of Jesus? First, just as salvation is a gift, faith is also a gift that God places within our hearts that grows as we exercise it (Romans 12:3-8). When we experience difficult circumstances and desperately cling to God’s promises, our faith grows. When we saturate our minds with the Word of God, our faith grows (Romans 10:17). When we acknowledge our lack of faith and earnestly pray for God to increase our faith, it grows (Luke 17:5).
In our prayer time today, let us ask God to give us endurance as we face the trials of life. Let us pray that He will give us the strength to be obedient to His will in every area of our lives, and let us petition Heaven to grant us an increase of faith so the “faith of Jesus” fills our lives and prepares us for Earth’s final crisis. Then one day we will live with Jesus through all eternity!
“Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”
“Here is the Patience of the Saints”
Lord, we have waited for a long time for Your return. We also know that Your timing is never off and that You know what is best for us. Thank You that as the Holy Spirit dwells in us, He will produce patience and endurance in us. Show us how to best use the time we still have to honor You. When we face trials and tribulations, we will take comfort in knowing that You provide strength and divine patience.
“They that Keep the Commandments”
Your will, God, is love. Love for You and love for others. Love as revealed in the Word of God and in the life of Jesus. I rejoice in the fact that You are able and willing to transform our rebellious hearts into hearts that are in tune with the great law of love.
“The Faith of Jesus”
I am amazed, God, by the faith and faithfulness that Jesus showed here on earth, especially while dying on the cross. Inasmuch as His trust in the Father was an example to us, He doesn’t leave it there but provides for all who believe the opportunities to develop that same quality of faith. Jesus, please mature our faith, every day a bit more. We surrender to You, our precious, faithful Savior.
Thanks and Praise: Give thanks for specific blessings and praise God for His goodness.
Confession: Take a few minutes for private confession and thank God for His forgiveness.
Guidance: Ask God to grant wisdom for current challenges and decisions.
Our Church: Pray for regional and world church needs (see separate sheet with requests).
Local Requests: Pray for current needs of church members, family, and neighbors.
Listen and Respond: Take time to listen for God’s voice and respond in praise or song.
SDA Hymnal: Let All Things Now Living (#560); The Church Has One Foundation (#348); Amazing Grace (#108); When We All Get to Heaven (#633); Whiter than Snow (#318); In a Little While We’re Going Home (#626); Lead On, O King Eternal (#619); To God Be the Glory (#341)
Design the final Sabbath of Ten Days of Prayer to celebrate God’s goodness and mighty power. Share how you have experienced revival and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the past ten days. Rejoice in what God has done, is doing, and will do.
Design the final Sabbath of Ten Days of Prayer to celebrate God’s goodness and mighty power. Share how you have experienced the power of prayer and the good news of the everlasting gospel during the past ten days. Rejoice in what God has done, is doing, and will do.
The needs of each congregation are unique, so please work with local leaders to develop a specific plan for your church. Here are some possible items to include in your final Sabbath church service.
Theme:
The Three Angels’ Call to Prayer
Theme Verse:
“The I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6).
Possible Hymns:
Sermon Ideas:
Have a pastor, elder, or prayer leader preach a short sermon about how the three angels’ messages call us to prayer and revival in these last days. Scripture passage: Revelation 14:6-12.
[OR]
Have the Ten Days of Prayer participants take turns offering 1- or 2-minute summaries for each of the 10 daily prayer guides. Share the title, the main verse, and a key thought. (Plan ahead so the summaries stay within 1-2 minutes. For most people, one minute is 125-150 spoken words.)
[OR]
Enlist three youth to present 5-minute sermons about how each of the three angels’ messages calls us to prayer and revival before Jesus comes. Youth could also help with music or offer testimonies.
Other Program Ideas:
Find below a few options to join a prayer group via ZOOM in your preferred timezone:
ZOOM application required, download here
ZOOM prayer calls are provided by 24/7 United Prayer Ministries - 247unitedprayer.org