The LORD's Day October 26, 2008

The Prayers Of The Saints

Revelation 5

Where do our prayers go? Well we know they go to the LORD. But after that where are they?

We live in throw out society. The repair man is going out of business today because it cheaper to replace things than repair them. Documents are shredded today. Old books- good books have lost their value. The price tags have all been switched here on earth. But Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away but His Word will never pass away. Our prayers are of an eternal quality. They are kept and treasured by the LORD!

1. They are in heaven.

We spoke about this last week. The prayers of the saints are with the LORD. They are so special to the Him that He has them with Him in heaven.

Perhaps one of the joys of heaven that Jesus spoke about in the parable of the talents(Matthew 25) will be seeing all of our prayers we prayed and the answers that were given. It could very well be that we will see this when we get there! “Enter thou in to the joy of your LORD.”

I keep several prayer journals. It is so good to see how the LORD answers. Don’t think I am so spiritual because I keep them. I am weak. I keep them because I tend to forget all the answers. Sometimes I forget things I need to be praying for. God is keeping prayer journals for us and they are in these golden bowls the 24 elders and the four living creatures are holding!

I think “unanswered” prayers are in there too! We will see face to face and know Jesus even as He fully knows us now. I don’t think we will need a great deal of explanation about the unanswered prayers. Seeing Him and knowing all will happen in a moment keeps us from stressing over the questions we have about unanswered prayers. John 11- Lazarus was sick and Jesus did not come until he was dead and buried.

We all prayed for my brother to be healed. He died. John Wessels, a young man who is from David Wilkerson’s church, and I anointed him three days before he died. We believed that God could heal him. He did not. We don’t know why. It didn’t shake my faith in Divine Healing. When I get to heaven and see Mark I will not need an explanation as to why the LORD didn’t heal him. We’ll be together forever. My brother and I embraced once before I left to come back to the Island and he said,”If I don’t see you here again, Bro, I’ll see you in heaven.” I had my nephew Stephen remind of these things a few days ago in an e-mail.

2. They are in a golden bowl.

Precious things are placed in costly bowls. We have a silver bowl someone gave us and in it we put seasonal sweets. We don’t have any golden bowls. In heaven there the prayers of the saints are in the most precious metal.

This shows their importance.
King Tut’s tomb in Cairo, Egypt is gold all around and inside.

This shows how close God holds them- there is something about prayer that is offered up that is eternal.

What are the prayers of the saints?

*One would be for God’s kingdom to come.
We all ought to be praying this regularly- daily.
This means the expansion of His Kingdom on earth.
This means the coming of Jesus back to earth.
This means Heaven.

*Another would be for His Will to be done.
It is His will for all people to be saved.
Specific things in our lives.

*Certainly praise to God and worship are in these bowls of incense.

*Thanksgiving to answers are in there too.

*Another is the prayers for healing. All those prayers made by believers for believers will be answered in heaven ultimately and at that time immediately! Don’t say God did heal a person who died. It really is not true and it brings no comfort to those who without a loved one. You can say it when we all get to heaven and when we all have a new body.
*The prayers of the set apart ones would be all the prayer that have been offered by those who are believers. Look at verse 10! Intercessory prayer!

3. They are incense.

Sweet smelling savour to the LORD.
Ephesians 5.2 …Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Under the Old Covenant incense was burned at the time of the evening and morning sacrifice along with these times of prayer. They arose to God as a sweet smell- a fragrant offering. Our prayers are like that incense. They rise to heaven and are kept before God’ throne. They are in the bowls of incense in the hands of 24 elders and 4 living creatures. Every prayer you prayed!

4. They are around God’s Throne.

Close to the heart of our Father in heaven are the prayers of the saints. Jesus told to pray to our Father in heaven.

God holds our prayers close to his heart. God cares so deeply for us. He is with us. He treasures these prayers of His saints.

5. We are to be adding to them.

We are saints. A saint is not just a spiritual giant, although they are saints too and I thank God for their examples. A saint is anyone who believes. A saint is one by believing has been set apart for God. Brother Hazard used to tell me about the Corinthian Church and how messed up it was and yet Paul called them “sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of the LORD Jesus…”

We ought always to pray and not give up. (Luke 18) I love the fact that these 24 elders and 4 living creatures which are before the throne worshiping 24-7 have in their hands these golden bowls which contain the prayers of the saints- some of our prayers have now been added to those bowls.

I have admired large churches which have a 24 hour a day prayer ministry. They seem to be connecting with what is going on around God’s throne. However even a small church can have something akin to what they have if we follow the command, “Pray without ceasing.’” “Pray continually.”

We can live in prayer. Are you praying without ceasing? Praise the LORD! Are you not there yet? Keep seeking.

Prayer should become an integrated part of daily living.


When the Son Of Man comes will He find faith on the earth? In Mark 11 He tied in with persistency in prayer- the friend at midnight. We must keep praying over the things the LORD keeps before us.

See how valuable our prayers are?! We tend to think about how valuable they are to others but not the LORD. God treasures our prayers in bowls of golden bowls of incense in heaven before His throne. Let’s keep filling them up until we get there.

We should always pray and not give up.