Revelation 4:9-5:10
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
5:1Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 3 But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 4 I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 5 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits z of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 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. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” [1]
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The thing that jumped out at me today was the simple mention of the bowls of incense, which are identified as the prayers of the people of God. It just struck me that this “detail” is important enough to mention among the description of the triumphant and worthy Lamb. A critical feature of this depiction of the heavenly throne and the victory of Christ are the prayers of His people.
Our prayers matter to God. They come before His throne where they are treated as something of great importance. God has invited our prayers and has promised to hear them and to answer them.
This image goes against the temptation to look at our prayers as trivial and inconsequential. It’s too easy to go down the path of thinking that since God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He really doesn’t need our prayers. But that is not what is depicted here. God has attached His promises to our prayers, and so we pray.
I’m sure this jumped out at me because there are particular people and needs that are very prominent on my prayer list these days. God wants me to pray with confidence, to expect His answer, and to trust Him.
So my prayer today isn’t so much something additional to pray for, but rather a reminder to pray with confidence to the One to whom prayers ascend.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Re 4:9–5:10). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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