DECEMBER 20, 2025 PORTALS OF PRAYER READINGS
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
8 When
the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an
hour. 2 Then I saw the seven angels who
stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with
a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all
the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and
the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from
the hand of the angel. 5 Then the angel
took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the
earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings,[a] flashes of
lightning, and an earthquake.
The Seven Trumpets
6 Now the seven angels who had the seven
trumpets prepared to blow them.
7 The first angel blew his trumpet, and
there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the
earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were
burned up, and all green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel blew his trumpet, and
something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea,
and a third of the sea became blood. 9 A
third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were
destroyed.
10 The third angel blew his trumpet, and a
great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of
the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The
name of the star is Wormwood.[b] A third of
the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had
been made bitter.
12 The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a
third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars,
so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might
be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.
13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle
crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, “Woe, woe, woe to those
who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets that the three
angels are about to blow!”
Footnotes
- Revelation 8:5 Or
voices, or sounds
- Revelation 8:11 Wormwood is the name of a plant and of the
bitter-tasting extract derived from it
Psalm 72
Give the King Your Justice
Of Solomon.
72 Give the
king your justice, O God,
and
your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and
your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the
people,
and
the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the
people,
give
deliverance to the children of the needy,
and
crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you[a] while the
sun endures,
and
as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown
grass,
like
showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
and
peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from sea
to sea,
and
from the River[b] to the
ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him,
and
his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the
coastlands
render
him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring
gifts!
11 May all kings fall down before him,
all
nations serve him!
12 For he delivers the needy
when he calls,
the
poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and
saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems
their life,
and
precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may
gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and
blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the
land;
on
the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may
its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like
the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever,
his
fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all
nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who
alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
may
the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!
20 The prayers of David, the son
of Jesse, are ended.
Footnotes
- Psalm 72:5 Septuagint
He shall endure
- Psalm 72:8 That is,
the Euphrates
ESV® - The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright ©
2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. All rights
reserved.
Source for Bible text - www.biblegateway.com
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