“…….and they had golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of God’s people. {the saints}”
Revelations 5:8b
“But, God is in His heaven and while all does not seem right with the world at the present time it will soon be all straightened out. For He has promised it to His children and I certainly believe His Word to be true.”
Zola Payne
August 14, 1935
Zola Payne, Methodist Missionary nurse for 20 years ministered in Union Christian Hospital Pyeng Yang, Korea, which is now North Korea.
She prayed this prayer before North Korea made the disastrous decision to become communist under Kim Il Sung’s cult like regime.
Before she prayed this prayer she gave this insightful warning, “ We are surely living in peculiar times and certainly all this must be leading up to a climax. This depression cannot last. What I am afraid of is that the communists will get a hold of our {Korean} government. People think Russia is a paradise, but I live too close (to the idea) to have any illusions about what Bolshevism and Communism are.”
We are living in peculiar times right now. Children living out their lives in prison camps is beyond disturbing. How can this continue to go on. There are other disturbing human rights violation that are taking place in North Korea that are ignored by our world leaders. But why do they turn away from children? The very people who would ensure their future?
It is most perplexing. It is peculiar. Like a snake eating its own tail, seemingly helpless in the face of this grandiose tragedy.
Another prayer, prayed long ago from a Korean Author, waiting to come to life: “ Now I pray with all my heart for the surviving young people in Korea. That they may be Equipped with faith and have good education to meet their unpredictable futures. And I pray also for the insight to show me how to help them. I may help them.” Taiwan Koh , 1959, author of Divided Family.
What happens to prayers that were prayed 50 years ago? Almost 100 years ago? Are they lost in a sea of words never to be remembered again? Certainly not.
The Lord does not turn a blind eye to the children who are in prison. It grieves Him.
The prayers of the saints are like golden bowls of incense that raise up before Him. They are the prayers of the saints. When we pray we are joining hands with our Lord Jesus who is always interceding and INTERVENING for us.
Hebrews 7:25
There is no way for us to know all His ways, or which individuals He is using to activate a change in the world that can not be stopped by any man or government.
And even though all does not seem right, God is in His heaven, and knows the beginning and ending of every story, weaving his way through every situation so when we look back we can see God’s hand at work even in our darkest times.
He chooses to use our hands to carry out his promises, so… “ Put your hands in the hand of the man who calm the sea ……” Whatever He puts in your hand to do, DO IT. Your dreams, and God working through your hands may be the answer to a prayer dreamed a 100 years ago.
“ Thousands upon thousands of dreams, spoken and unspoken, are buried in this hardened soil. These dreams are spoken in prayers, released, buried and then dreamed again.”
Hana Crosses the Freedom Bridge. – Sally Jo Messersmith
