Golden Bowls Full

"Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." 

Revelation 5:8

God's love is so remarkable!  He extends His love and grace to all people, despite our flaws and weaknesses.  When we were disloyal, untrustworthy, wretched, lost, hateful, and His enemies, God demonstrated His love for us by sending Jesus to die upon the cross and rise again.  We can see therefore that God's value for mankind is not dependent upon our performance or perceived "goodness."  He values us because He is good, gracious, kind, merciful, and loving.  God prizes men to such an extent that He chose to purchase us with the blood of His only Son.  When we repent and are born again through the Holy Spirit, He adopts us as sons.  Because God values us, He values our prayers as well.  Every child of God through faith is a saint in His view.

We see this fact displayed in this Revelation 5:8 passage.  The prayers of the saints are sweet-smelling incense held in golden bowls.  When I read this last week, I was struck with the idea of these golden bowls.  The only gold I own is a small, bottomless hole to put flesh and blood in - my wedding ring!  To own even one bowl made entirely of gold would speak of great wealth.  If I owned such a bowl, I assure you I would not leave it on the bench or coffee table!  I would not use it as a candy bowl or for something to throw my keys in.  Because the bowl was made of gold it would be very valuable indeed.  I would hire a safety deposit box to keep the bowl protected from theft or damage.  Many people buy insurance to protect their jewelery and a large bowl made of solid gold would be worth insuring.

To God, the bowls of gold described are of little value.  What God values is the contents of the gold bowls:  the prayers of the saints.  If we understood how much God values our prayers, how sweet and precious they are to Him as gifts given by His beloved children, how much more would we appreciate this gift of access God has given to us!  God has given us all we have and by His grace we are who we are.  Prayer is a gift man can freely give back to God.  Do you wonder what you can give the King of Kings?  After giving Him your heart, give Him the gift of your prayers.  That is a fitting gift for the Lover and Saviour of your soul!  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  God is not like King Ahasuerus of the Medes and Persians who one night had trouble sleeping (Esther 6:1).  To help him drift off to sleep, the king had the book of the chronicles read to him - reading so dry he would certainly be asleep before long!  Our God does not slumber or sleep.  He is not so inundated with prayers that He cannot respond, nor is He so busy He does not care.  Even now God delights to hear prayers raise from your heart to His.

Man values gold, but God values the prayers of His people far more.  May our prayers indeed be a sweet-smelling savour unto Him!  Let us rejoice to fill those golden bowls to the brim!