The Prayers of God’s People
Another angel with a gold incense burner came and stood at the altar. And a great quantity of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people, to be offered on the gold altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of the saints, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out. Revelation 8:3-4
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Our prayers matter to God. We don’t just “pray into space” and then our prayers are forgotten. These verses tell us that our prayers are like perfume or sweet smelling incense that ascends to the Lord. They rise before him and move his heart. He hears every plea and petition; all the prayers of God’s people are set before him. They aren’t like letters that get misplaced. God saves them along with our praises in a golden bowl. Some of these prayers he will answer during our lifetimes. We’ll get to see the breakthrough in the life of someone we’ve labored in intercession for. Some of the things we’ve asked God to do, will perhaps not happen until we are seeing things from heaven’s gates. But these prayers are powerful; they have an impact and affect eternity. What a great encouragement when we are tired and discouraged to know that God treasures our prayers!
Prayers:
LORD, how I thank you not only for hearing my prayers but also for treasuring them, storing them up with praise in golden bowls at your throne of grace. Thank you for not forgetting my petitions. Thank you for what this passage conveys: my prayers, with all the prayers of the saints throughout history, are important to you and are part of your eternal plan.
Quotes:
Prayer is of transcendent importance, for it is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. . . . Only praying hearts and hands can do God’s work. . . . Prayer succeeds when all else fails. Prayer has won great victories and has rescued, with notable triumph, God’s saints when every other hope was gone.
E. M. Bounds (1835–1913)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Nahum 1:1–3:19; Revelation 8:1-13; Psalm 136:1-26 and Proverbs 30:7-9.
