Of all the word pictures in the writing of Revelation, this one is perhaps one of the best. Close your eyes and imagine for a moment an angel approaching the throne of God. He carries incense to fuel a torch-like device in front of God, but before igniting the flame, he adds the prayers of the saints to it. The resulting fireball is then hurled by the angel standing in heaven down to earth resulting in a visual and auditory light show to those who live there.

Most people don't view prayer as a flame accelerator, but in heaven that's exactly what it is. Anywhere God's people pray, their action becomes the power within whatever instrument God uses. In the case of Revelation 8:3, it's retribution to those who persecuted God's remnant on earth.

I often use this and other Revelation examples of prayer power to motivate me to do it. You might wonder what motivation this example offers. Well, Jesus told us that the private prayer closet is the place we make our requests known. No one on earth ever hears those prayers or even knows we prayed. But this example of angels adding prayer to the holy censer, makes me think God keeps every prayer I lift up. In 5:8. John viewed such prayer as the actual incense that is filling golden bowls that we will one day lift up to God as our praise offering.

Regardless if these verses in Revelation are literal or figurative, it is testimony to the fact every prayer we speak in this life is kept in heaven awaiting our arrival there. We talk much about pleasing God with our life. I wonder how our prayer life pleases God. Will you arrive in heaven, be awarded your praise offering bowl to lift up to the Lord, look in it and see nothing?

Two things I'd like to point out about prayer from John's vision. First, it is the job of every child of God to pray. It's not optional service, but rather just spending time with Him, something we all should desire. Secondly, you don't have to pray, but you can't escape the fact that God keeps every word spoken and will one day view the amount of time you spend in prayer as evidence of your love for Him.

I wonder how you will answer God with an empty bowl in your hands? You failed to spend time with the Lord here on earth; I wonder at what point your desire will change as you make your transfer to heaven to spend eternity with Him?

1 Developed from Read the Bible Thru ( Na. 1:1-3:19 Rv. 8:1-13 Ps. 136:1-26 Pr. 30:7-9 )
2. Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society

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