The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand

Good morning! Here is today’s word of blessings for you.

Revelation 8:1-5
1When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 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. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

Today’s title is “Prayer Of God’s People Going Up Before God”

God has given us many promises. Out of all those promises, the most assuring promise is a promise about prayers. It is clear and definitive. Listen to what Jesus has said about prayers. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8) In this word of the Lord, the relationship between the command to pray and the promise to answer are direct and decisive. Other biblical verses about the prayer also maintain such a direct and decisive tone. Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’” James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” How could they be so sure that the prayers will be answered when in reality nothing seemed sure? I believe today’s passage shows the answer. Here we see the spiritual process of offered prayers that are normally hidden from our eyes. “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. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” Our prayers, however humble they may be, goes up to the golden altar in the throne of God offered together with the heavenly incense at the hand of angels. God who is seated at the throne receives our prayers and acts upon them with His sovereign power and wisdom. That’s awesome and amazing. But that’s a definite spiritual reality known to the faithful believers for a long time. That’s why David wrote in his psalm, “ I call to you, Lord, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice (Psalm 141:1-2). That’s why the author of the book of Hebrews said “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)”. God wants us to share the such fervent heart of prayers too. That’s probably why He shows us the hidden spiritual operation of prayers. How sure are you about the promise of God to answer your prayers? How fervently and persistently do you pray?