“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.”
Revelation 5:8 (NIV)
It’s good to have an occasional glimpse of heaven to meditate on.
In this particular vision, John saw twenty four elders, each holding a golden bowl filled with prayers, which are our prayers. They also held a harp to make songs of praise with, and then the elders all bowed down to worship the Lamb, who is Jesus.
The twenty four elders consist of the twelve apostles plus the twelve sons of Jacob, which are the same as the twelve tribes of Israel. To visualize them holding golden bowls filled with prayers, while bowing in worship before the Lord, confirms the idea that worship and prayer are meant to go hand in hand.
All of our senses will be stimulated in heaven, through a vivid combination of sights, scents and sounds. There will be golden bowls to see, fragrant incense to smell and harp music to hear. The elders hold the prayers of God’s people in their bowls, while they worship the One who told us to pray, asking anything in His name.
We may have many trials here during a lifetime, and sometimes it’s hard to believe that God hears our prayers. John’s vision of heaven revealed that God not only hears us, but He values our prayers enough to place them in golden bowls, and then light them up to become a fragrant incense that permeates all of heaven.
There is no time or space in heaven, so our prayers are ever present before God’s throne. People can forget our prayer requests, but Heaven never forgets. Every prayer we pray, rises to heaven, in the form of a fragrant incense. God answers us according to His timing, plan and purpose. Whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name, carries the aroma of Christ along with every prayer request, rising all the way to God’s throne. (2 Corinthians 2:15)
Knowing this, we put our hope and faith in God, and like the elders, we offer praise with every petition. God loves each of us unconditionally, and so we praise Him for who He is, not just for what He does.
David knew this truth and he offered praise to God with every prayer request, as read in his Psalms. There is something therapeutic in praising God for who He is, even before receiving the answers to our prayers.
I have discovered a strange and unexplainable peace that comes through worship. Not a day goes by that I don’t listen to christian praise and worship music. It’s playing in my car radio every day and also on a playlist that I listen to in my home. There is such a great benefit in filling our minds with music that praises God.
We don’t need to have great faith to praise God, because we can praise Him solely for who He is. Whatever situation we are facing, God is still always eternally good. When we live in this kind of attitude, supernatural and amazing things begin to happen. Our faith will increase and we will find ourselves in a state of peace that is unexplainable.
Today, let us give thanks and praise to God who collects our prayers in golden bowls and permeates heaven with their timeless fragrant incense. That image alone inspires the desire to praise Him.
Lord, we praise and thank you that you remember all of our prayers, which rise to you as fragrant incense in golden bowls. We believe that you will hear and answer all that we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen
