Why Prayer Matters More than We Think
I have been deeply pondering Revelation 5:8 since Sunday’s message:
“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.”
Have you ever thought of your prayers as the aroma of heaven? What a profound thought! Yet this is the imagery we get when we read Revelation 5. As we are given a glimpse into the throne room of God and get to experience the worship of heaven, we see the prayers of God’s people being a central part of the worship being offered. In fact, this is one of the few times in Revelation where we are specifically told what an image or symbol actually means.
In Exodus 30:1-10, Moses was told to build the “altar of incense.” This altar was one of the items inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle (just outside of the Holy of Holies) Exodus 30:8 tells us, “Incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.” The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. On the other side of the veil was where the presence of God was.
Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight, every day, as a regular offering to the Lord. The stipulation was that no other incense would ever be burned on the altar. In other words, “the prayers of God’s people” will always be present and serve as a sweet aroma before the very presence of God.
We see throughout biblical times that priests faithfully burned incense in the temple. Luke 1 records the story of a priest named Zechariah. He was burning incense in the temple with worshipers praying outside when an angel showed up “standing at the right side of the altar of incense” to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth would become parents of the baby who would grow up to become John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25).
This was the model that God set up. I believe this is the pattern that God wanted as the model for His church. The altar of incense to never go out. Jesus said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a 'den of robbers.'” (Mark 11:17) Think about that! When prayer isn’t offered in his house, it angers God. He equates it to robbery. When was the last time you considered that you are robbing God by not praying? At minimum we are robbing ourselves of the blessing associated with doing it the way God prescribed.
Alexander MacLaren said it this way, “That which ascends as prayer descends as blessing, like the vapor that is drawn up by the kiss of the sun to fall in the freshening rain.”
Taking it one step further, the New Testament makes it clear that our bodies are now the temple of God—the dwelling place of the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. This is why in the New Testament we are told, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), meaning we are to maintain a constant, conscious awareness of God and communicate with Him throughout the day through prayer. In essence (pun intended), we are keeping the altar of incense burning always.
David said in Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be set before you like incense,”
As I ponder these thoughts, I am strengthened and encouraged all the more to pray vigorously and passionately. Why? Because I know every prayer is brought before Jesus; everything is heard, no matter how big or small we think our prayer request is. God is able to instantaneously monitor, discern, and answer every prayer that has ever been spoken, thought, or offered to Him. And He is able to respond with the perfect answer to our prayers.
So pray boldly! God captures and records every prayer we pray.
And did you catch where? They are registered and recorded and preserved in “golden bowls.” I love the imagery. Gold is the most precious metal on earth. This is how God views our prayers. They are housed and stored in the most precious metal known to man—more precious and valuable than anything on earth! That gives us insight into what God thinks about our prayers.
So next time you wonder if there is value in prayer—if you ever wonder about your prayers meaning anything or doing anything, or if prayer seems like you’re just talking to yourself—remember this: every single word you utter or ponder in your heart reaches the very throne room of God. And during the worship of heaven, they are being offered as a sweet aroma before the Lamb who was slain.
“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.”
Have you ever thought of your prayers as the aroma of heaven? What a profound thought! Yet this is the imagery we get when we read Revelation 5. As we are given a glimpse into the throne room of God and get to experience the worship of heaven, we see the prayers of God’s people being a central part of the worship being offered. In fact, this is one of the few times in Revelation where we are specifically told what an image or symbol actually means.
In Exodus 30:1-10, Moses was told to build the “altar of incense.” This altar was one of the items inside the Holy Place of the tabernacle (just outside of the Holy of Holies) Exodus 30:8 tells us, “Incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.” The altar of incense was placed before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. On the other side of the veil was where the presence of God was.
Aaron was instructed to burn incense on the altar each morning and at twilight, every day, as a regular offering to the Lord. The stipulation was that no other incense would ever be burned on the altar. In other words, “the prayers of God’s people” will always be present and serve as a sweet aroma before the very presence of God.
We see throughout biblical times that priests faithfully burned incense in the temple. Luke 1 records the story of a priest named Zechariah. He was burning incense in the temple with worshipers praying outside when an angel showed up “standing at the right side of the altar of incense” to tell him that he and his wife Elizabeth would become parents of the baby who would grow up to become John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-25).
This was the model that God set up. I believe this is the pattern that God wanted as the model for His church. The altar of incense to never go out. Jesus said, “Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a 'den of robbers.'” (Mark 11:17) Think about that! When prayer isn’t offered in his house, it angers God. He equates it to robbery. When was the last time you considered that you are robbing God by not praying? At minimum we are robbing ourselves of the blessing associated with doing it the way God prescribed.
Alexander MacLaren said it this way, “That which ascends as prayer descends as blessing, like the vapor that is drawn up by the kiss of the sun to fall in the freshening rain.”
Taking it one step further, the New Testament makes it clear that our bodies are now the temple of God—the dwelling place of the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. This is why in the New Testament we are told, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), meaning we are to maintain a constant, conscious awareness of God and communicate with Him throughout the day through prayer. In essence (pun intended), we are keeping the altar of incense burning always.
David said in Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be set before you like incense,”
As I ponder these thoughts, I am strengthened and encouraged all the more to pray vigorously and passionately. Why? Because I know every prayer is brought before Jesus; everything is heard, no matter how big or small we think our prayer request is. God is able to instantaneously monitor, discern, and answer every prayer that has ever been spoken, thought, or offered to Him. And He is able to respond with the perfect answer to our prayers.
So pray boldly! God captures and records every prayer we pray.
And did you catch where? They are registered and recorded and preserved in “golden bowls.” I love the imagery. Gold is the most precious metal on earth. This is how God views our prayers. They are housed and stored in the most precious metal known to man—more precious and valuable than anything on earth! That gives us insight into what God thinks about our prayers.
So next time you wonder if there is value in prayer—if you ever wonder about your prayers meaning anything or doing anything, or if prayer seems like you’re just talking to yourself—remember this: every single word you utter or ponder in your heart reaches the very throne room of God. And during the worship of heaven, they are being offered as a sweet aroma before the Lamb who was slain.
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