Prayer Collection

Day 351: Revelation 8:1-13

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne.” - Revelation 8:3 NIV

First of all, we will get to the purpose of the trumpets being blown tomorrow, but for now, it is good to see these as events that are allowed to happen on earth to get people's attention away from themselves and onto God.

Also, the seventh seal is broken and what follows seems to be anti-climactic, but we would do well to recall how the throne room scene was depicted in chapters 4-5. It is constantly overflowing with praise and thunder. So this abrupt pause indicates something incredible just happened. Like, say, Jesus, returning for His bride, the Church! We sometimes use the phrase, "it took my breath away," which is pretty good to think about here.

But the truth that stood out to me the most in today's reading is the careful collecting that happens in heaven when it comes to our prayers.

Apparently, our prayers will play a vital role in the restoration of all things. The residents of heaven value every single word we communicate toward God. Even though we may not think much of our ramblings and requests, confessions and cryings-out. God cherishes every one of them.

I hope that this encourages you to pray today. Ask God for more than you can fathom to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He is listening, and now we know all heaven is stirred when the words leave our lips and hearts.

Let’s let Lewis Foster bring us home with this powerful quote about this passage: “The combination of the prayers of the saints from earth and the fire of God from Heaven has been sufficient to open the action in a new series of visions. The stage is set.”