Our Father’s Treasures

They were holding golden bowls full of the prayers of God's people. Revelation chapter 5 verse 8.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our Father's Treasures was written and read by James Banks. Revelation chapter 5 verses 7 through 14. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and 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. And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth. Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels numbering thousands upon thousands and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever.

The four living creatures said, Amen, and the elders fell down and worshiped. Our Father's Treasures. It's just an old pocket knife worn and tarnished with time. The blade is chipped and the handle notched, but it was one of my father's treasures kept in a box on his dresser until he gave it to me. It's one of the few things I have from your grandfather, he told me.

My grandfather died when my father was young, and Dad treasured the knife because he treasured his father. The Bible tells us that God also has an unlikely treasure, something we might not expect. In Revelation, we see a throne in heaven encircled by four living creatures and 24 elders bowing before Jesus in worship. Each one is holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people.

In ancient times, incense was something precious, used by kings. Think of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh offered to Jesus in Matthew 2-11. Our prayers may not seem like much to us at times, but God wants them lifted before him always. Revelation 5 emphasizes the worthiness of Jesus because of his sinless life and loving death for us. Jesus' worthiness points us to why God values our prayers. Our prayers are precious to God because we're precious to him. Because he loves us with such selfless, priceless, and merciful love, he longs for us to stay close to him in prayer. May we pray. Loving Savior, as Revelation 5-12 says, you are worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise, today and always. In your name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How will you love God with your prayers today? Who and what can you bring before him in loving prayer?