Golden Bowl of Prayer!

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Then I looked and saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne that was surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb looked as if it had once been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent out to all the earth.
The Lamb went over and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who sat on the throne. After he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders knelt down before him. Each of them had a harp and a gold bowl full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Revelation 5:6-8

When I send an important letter I always pay a little extra to get "delivery confirmation." That way I receive an email or can look on a web site and know for certain that it was delivered. Sometimes I can even see the signature of the recipient scanned in to the system.

When you pray, how do you know that God actually heard your petition? Of course, you know by faith that God hears your prayers, but how are they delivered to Him in Heaven? These verses in Revelation 5 give a stunning picture of your prayers arriving at their destination. Your prayers are incense in Heaven and they arrive in a golden bowl delivered by one of the four living creatures or one of the twenty four elders. When you bow your head and pray you become a part of the glorious throne room scene in Heaven! When incense is present in a room it cannot go un-noticed!

So when you pray what difference does all this make? Actually, it is profoundly important. Praying is not about changing things on earth, but it is rather about supporting and establishing the aroma of the throne room of God! When you realize that truth, even answers to your prayers become almost irrelevant.

Here is the scene. You are standing before the throne of God Almighty and everything gets quiet while all of Heaven looks straight at you and waits for you to pray!

Now lets see, what was that thing I thought was so important and was going to pray about? The things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of Heaven!