Be still: Thank you, God, for your presence here with me now. I ask you, Holy Spirit, to reveal the Father to me as I open the Bible today. Amen
Read: Revelation 5
And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. (v8)
Encounter: Do you ever feel as though your prayers are sitting at the bottom of God’s to-do list? Or maybe he’s shoved them into the messy kitchen drawer along with other miscellaneous items to be dealt with later. I’ve definitely felt this way and I know most other praying people will have too.
‘God why can’t you come and just make this situation right?’
‘When will there be healing?’
‘How long do I have to wait to see change?’
‘Hello??? Are you even there, God?’
Christians have grappled for centuries with the pain, mystery and confusion of prayer –and particularly unanswered prayer. A frequently asked question is… ‘How do I know that God has heard my prayer?’
And yet, in the middle of this heavenly worship scene depicted in Revelation 5, we see our prayers taking centre stage – they’re right there in midst of all the praise that is happening in the throne-room of heaven.
Our prayers are right there, they’ve gone somewhere, they’ve arrived at their intended destination – God’s dwelling place. And they’re not being stored in some back room or a forgotten cupboard. They’re in front of our Father, displayed in ‘golden bowls’ and pictured as ‘incense’.
Think about that for a moment. In the middle of all this glorious heavenly activity, God chooses to put a spotlight on the prayers of his people. They must be so precious to him; they must be of such great value and worth! And not only that, they’re also making a contribution. They’re not ornaments gathering dust on a shelf, they are playing an active role in the worship room of heaven.
Apply: How might you pray if you genuinely believed that every prayer you pray is received by God, is precious to him and is contributing to the worship of God in heaven?
Devote: Thank you God that you hear my every prayer and keep them all close to you. I ask you to give me the strength to keep praying even when I don't see change or the answer I'm looking for.