10/1/2024
I was reading the thoughts of Pastor E.M. Bounds on praying Holy Prayers this morning, and he made the point that Holy Prayers are not just said, but come from men and women who are whole heartedly devoted to God; entirely separated from sin, and fully separated or consecrated to God. The bible verse we will use as we contemplate this today is Revelation 8:4. Let’s read it together…
"The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand."
Revelation 8:4 ESV
Then as I read Revelation 8 In its entirety I came to realize that prayers are more than vapor… they have substance... They have weight... and this is an interesting thought because we have a tendency to think that they are like most things we say during our day... gone once the sound of our voice fades away. But, Holy Prayers, like the Lord’s Prayer, and all prayers in general, are tangible, and are gathered in the hands of angels.
How many times have we prayed and then wondered if God had heard us? Did we think that our prayers had just dissipated into the ether, and vanished? Did we think that if God were not within earshot that He would miss our prayers all together?
This morning's Bible verse tells us that our prayers have substance and are held in the hands of angels... They don't just vanish into thin air... They are offered to God on our behalf... Some being accompanied by the sweet aroma of incense. God does more than hear our words... He feels them, touches them, and blesses us as He answers them. Prayers carry a part of us before the throne of God, and in them our Heavenly Father is pleased, and finds great value... they are an offering we bring to Him.
“And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Revelation 5:8 ESV
Read Revelation chapter 8 in its entirety
So, let’s have a time of Holy Prayer today; praying prayers that come from more than just our minds, but from deep within our hearts and souls. Let’s offer prayers which will carry us before the throne of God; not just empty chants or hollow words that truly are just vapor. Let’s pray prayers that will cause our souls to soar as we pray them because they are an actual piece of ourselves. Let’s lift them up, and offer them to the Lord as a blessing meant to be a confirmation of our love for Him, and serve as firm proof of our belief that He is our God, and Jesus is His Son. Let’s pray Holy Prayers destined for golden bowls, the hands of angels, and God.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for giving us the ability to pray powerful and holy prayers to you. Thank you for the portion of us that becomes our very real prayers as they convey to you our deepest needs, wants, desires, and love. Embrace us Abba as you hold each of these prayers to your breast, and act on them out of your never-ending love for us. Help us to believe that our prayers are more than empty air, or some passing thought, but are a tangible and real portion of who we are. Dry our tears with them Father. Sooth our fears with them, and use them as a table upon which you feed us your Word, and set before us the redeeming body and blood of Jesus to remind us of Him, and to nourish and make us whole. Open our hearts to your Holy Spirit when we don’t have the words to pray, and let Him bring out a piece of us as an offering to you. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you who was, and is, and is to come. Holy are you who has spoken in prayer throughout eternity, and dwells in love, goodness, grace, and prayer with us even now. Hear us, hear our prayers Father, and take them from the hands of your angels as they sing and offer them upon your altar as incense. Find us pleasing Holy Father, and call our prayers holy as we offer them each as a blessings to you. You are blessed when we offer you our problems. You are blessed when we ask you to feed and sustain us. We pray that you are blessed when we humble ourselves before you asking that you forgive or protect us, and we pray that you are blessed beyond measure as we give you all of our loving selves in prayer. In humbling ourselves before you in this way we are asking you to take us into your hands, and to call us a pleasing, and your children, as you lift us up and give us a taste of eternity with you; the sweet promise that awaits us each as believers. Praised be your name Lord, and in all these things and more that we pray we ask that you make us righteous, and holy in Christ.
And with every prayer we say… Amen, Amen, Amen!
Rich Forbes