Good morning!
Text: Revelation 5-6; Isaiah 58
Revelation chapters 4-5 are rich with images of the goings on in heaven – the majesty and the worship and the praise for God and for the Lamb, Jesus. One of my favorite pictures is the one which connects our prayers with that reality, Revelation 5:8:
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
I often consider these words when I pray. Imagine, our prayers go to the throne room of God and are a sweet incense, an aroma pleasing to God, and a blessing before Him. The image here is that our prayers really matter, and they form part of the chorus of worship that is, even in this moment, ongoing in God’s heaven. Rather than an unwelcome phone call, a spam email or a bothersome text message for the King, our prayers are received as something worthwhile and beautiful.
What an incredible privilege we have. We can pray and know that when we do, He cherishes our prayers. Prayer is not a matter to be taken lightly, nor one to be neglected. Oh that His Church would be ever more consumed with a heart for prayer!
in Him, Mike