“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained” (Revelation 6:9).

There are those who have witnessed first-hand the wickedness against the church.  Just because you have lived in relative safety does not mean the church has not been under attack.  Both within and from without, there are those who are not faithful to the Lord.  People seek their own desire and wrap it up in nice religious garments.  The souls of the saints cry out against the wicked.

Lord, grant that I be counted amongst the saints.  Let me not rely upon my own merits but look deeply within my own soul to have Your Spirit uncover any place that remains in rebellion against You.  This is a matter of eternal life and death, and I too often treat it as though it were just a Sunday thing.  Guide me Lord in the way of everlasting life so that I may be found wholly in You.

Thank You, dear Jesus, for the salvation You accomplished, which You have given me by Your precious death and resurrection.  Apart from You, it is hopeless.  But You give me hope and a future.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of everlasting life and help me to search deep within.  Make of me a true saint who is a witness in this world, giving testimony of the hope I have because of Your grace.  Lead me always in the grace You give.  Amen.

“I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth” (Revelation 5:8).

This world is filled with terrors.  One of the certainties in this age is death.  We shall all die.  But there have been times when death seemed to have been even more prominent.  WWII and the years immediately following saw tens of millions slaughtered for political reasons.  The amount of slaughter in our time is on the increase.  Do not fear death, for it comes to us all, but fear the One who rescues us from the second death.

Lord, I have a natural fear of pain.  I recoil at the thought of painful things.  I do not like the death of loved ones who have gone on.  In the mystery of all these things, help me to see more clearly the reality of all that is going on around me.  Guide me through the mess of this world to know that in You, the author and finisher of my faith, there is true abiding and everlasting life.  Lead me in the right and good direction grace affords that I may always follow You.

My Savior, ever since Adam and Eve were banned from the garden, death has been a part of the human experience.  But You have told us that death is not the final answer.  Though I die, yet shall I live.  Guide me, Lord, in living the true life for which You died.  Help me work through my fears so that I live in the goodness of Your grace and mercy all the days of my life in this age.  Help me to look to You, Lord, and then help me to follow You.  Amen.

“When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!”  (Revelation 6:7)

Will you follow the Lord no matter what comes?  Many seem to be good-time followers.  While things are moving along smoothly, all is well and good.  As soon as trouble comes, they bail out and move elsewhere.  A fourth time, the Lord bids you, “come”.  Through all that this life may toss your way, come, and serve the Lord.  You were created by Him, and you are His.  But He created you to, and for, love.  Will you come?

Lord, You know the struggles I have in this age.  There are so many things that get in the way so that I am sometimes unsure of which direction to go.  Lead me, Lord, in the way You would have me go and grant, by Your grace, that I would have the fortitude to hold fast to the gifts You have given me.  Lord, You know where I am and where I need to be.  You know the path set before me.  Thank You for being there every step of the way.

Lord Jesus, You are the Savior, but also the judge.  You will pursue me to the ends of the earth.  Grant that I would learn from You and have the same fortitude and passion to follow You always and no matter what.  Guide me this day so that I stand firm against whatever may come my way that would lead me away from You.  Thank You, Lord, for being with me and showing me the way.  Lead me now and always in Your goodness.  Amen.

“Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” (Revelation 6:6)

In war lives are considered dispensable.  The priority is killing enemies and life is given less value.  Vast swaths of ground are destroyed, and the people go hungry.  Less food and hungry people mean the ones who are in control profit.  This is the way of wickedness.  We too have profited, for we eat cheap food and pay poor wages.  Only the Lord can bring true balance to the insanity of this age.

Lord, I do not want to confess that I have benefitted from the inequities of this world.  Help me to see things as they are and where possible, to make amends.  Guide me to be fervent in Your way of living and not adopt any other cause that moves in any direction that is away from You.  Lead me to live at peace, be fair, and seek for the welfare of others, especially the helpless and those who are victimized.

Lord Jesus, You came to save us all.  Amidst circumstances I cannot fully fathom, help me to live into the life to which You have called me.  Let me not answer anger with anger, but with peaceful self-control.  Help me to love even when others are hating.  Let me share what I have with those who may not be able to obtain what they need.  The world is at war with itself.  Give Your peace to me amidst the ways of this world.  Amen.

“When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand” (Revelation 6:5).

Judgement is built into creation.  It is not that the Lord waits to pour out a special dispensation, but that when one sins, recompense will come.  The recompense of sin is sloppy.  The seemingly innocent are stricken by their own sins or the wanton acts of another.  But who is truly innocent? And how does one dismiss the promise of the Lord that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord?

Lord, I think in terms of how I see things.  I forget that You are Lord of all.  Guide me, dear Lord, to live according to Your never-failing goodness so that I see things through Your eyes.  Bad things are going to happen in this world.  We will all pay the price for sin, but You have paid the price to free us from sin’s sentence of death.  Help me to learn how to be faithful above all things.  Guide me in Your goodness to know and trust that Your will shall be done.

Lord, I know that You will judge me.  Even though I am under Your grace, You love me enough to hold me accountable for how I act.  Let that be before my mind so that no matter what comes, I know that Your grace is a gift and that anything that happens in this age will be used to grow in me what You intend.  Help me to not slip back into conditional thinking, but live knowing that all things are in Your hands.  Amen.

“Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword” (Revelation 6:4).

Jesus told us that there would be wars and rumors of wars.  War has continued and accelerated since ancient times.  Most of the time there is a war going on somewhere in the world.  People want and so they take.  People have and they fight to keep.  Each century seems to get bloodier and more violent.  And we blame God for not stopping our violence?  We are offered peace, but violence is often our answer.

Lord, I too know how to be violent.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of peace.  Teach me how to resist that which causes violence.  Teach me how to become one who lives peacefully, loving my neighbor as myself.  Guide me in the way of eternity knowing that this age is going to continue to accelerate in war and violence.  We have spent generations entertaining ourselves with violence.  Guide me away from this world’s nonsense.

Lord Jesus, You came as a man of peace and now give the peace which surpasses all understanding.  Lead me away from the ways of this world and into Your presence.  Teach me how to live peacefully amidst the violence of this world.  I know these episodes of violence must come to pass but help me be attached to You and not to this crazy world.  Even when war and violence are all around me, help me to be a person of peace, for “blessed are the peacemakers”.  Amen.

“When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!”  (Revelation 6:3)

The Lord is continuously inviting us to come and follow Him.  We wander.  We go the way of the world.  We lose interest and do not faithfully follow the way of the Lord.  Come into His presence and stay where the Lord would have you abide.  Be guided by His goodness and mercy and know that the Lord is Lord of all, and His invitation is not a suggestion.  Come, learn what this means to and for you.

Lord, I am so conditional and want things the way I want them.  Help me to understand that everything is in Your hands and that apart from You there is nothing of value.  If something bad happens to me in this life, what is that?  I have the promise of eternity.  Is this not why Saint Paul wrote,“ to live is Christ and to die is gain”?  It is not a death wish, just the reality of this age.  Help me to live in the real world.

Lord, strengthen the resolve of my faith.  Do not let me be enticed by the wiles of this age, nor fall for the temptations that are common.  Guide me through the maze of nonsense in this world so that I may learn how to be steadfast in faith no matter what comes.  Lead me in Your goodness and grace to see more clearly each day the hope and promise that You give me.  Guide me now and always, dear Savior.  Amen.

“I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest” (Revelation 6:2).

In this world, one bent on conquest follows another.  There seems to be a never-ending stream of those who want to rule the world.  The amazing thing is that people fall for this over and over again.  The lure for power is great.  All power belongs to the Lord, so the sooner you understand that, the sooner lust for power will leave you.  You have no power except through accepting the call to become a child of God. What do you have that you did not receive?

Lord, You know how often I fall for this snare.  Many around me vie for power.  It is a silly pursuit, for when we die, anything we once had passes from us.  Lead me away from this wicked pursuit to live according to Your never-failing principles.  Help me to follow You wherever You lead so that I may pursue what is right and good.  Guide me, Lord, now and forever.

Lord Jesus, You are the Sovereign One who has come to lead the way.  You are not coming to conquer, for You have already conquered.  Guide me now and always in truth so that I will not waste my time on meaningless pursuits.  Help me learn how to be Your disciple, trusting You in and for all things.  Lead me in the upward calling of the faith You have given me and grow me to be like You.  Amen.

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” (Revelation 6:1)

What unfolds in time the Lord already knows.  He invented time.  He knows the end from the beginning.  But we are given the ability to see and that means slowing everything down so that we can see.  Will you receive the gift of sight?  Will you see that the Lord is Lord of all?  Many stand in the presence of the light and see darkness.  You have been given the gift of sight.  As many as see the light, to them He gives the power to become children of God.

We are called to follow Jesus.  Many are called, but few are they who walk the path of being a disciple.  The first thing Jesus said to you was, “Come.”  In this scene of heaven, the living creatures are saying, “Come.”  Will you come and follow the Lord?  When this scene is played out in your presence then, it will be too late.  The Lord is bidding you come now and follow Him into real life.

Lord, You have called me through the water of my baptism.  You came humbly in order that I may become like You and be a child of God.  You have come.  The question is, will I follow You?  Help me in all my doubts, fears, and unbelief to come and follow You now and forever.  Guide me in the goodness of the gift of new life that You have given me.  Lead me, Lord, and help me to follow You now and evermore.  Amen.

“And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped” (Revelation 5:14).

The Lord has made each creature according to its own kind.  It shall be as the Lord has purposed.  How is it then that we ask Him so many questions?  Why are we so discontented that we do not look to the author of our existence and respond with praise and thanks?  This is the rebellion that will be crushed.  He has called us to reality where we praise Him from whom all blessings flow.  Come then and live into the life for which you were created.

Lord, I do not understand the rebellion within me, nor the reason why I want to be control.  Help me to learn from You how to be content with who You have made me to be.  Help me by Your goodness to know that in You is hope and an eternal future.  Lead me, Lord, and I will follow.  Guide me Lord and I will learn from You.  Let me join the four living creatures in saying, “Amen,” and again, I will say, “Amen.”

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of all the praise and honor within me.  Lead me this day to rejoice in all that You have done, are doing, and will do knowing that You will accomplish all that You have purposed.  Holy Spirit, stir my heart to be in constant worship and praise of the goodness of what has been done.  Lord Jesus, may I give You thanks and praise for the salvation You have accomplished by Your own shed blood.  Amen.