HOW IMPORTANT ARE YOU TO GOD? By David Maddox
We know that was answered at the cross, but sometimes we stop there thinking only of our eternal life with Him and miss out on what is happening right now that is eternal. Did you know that your prayers (if you are a Believer) are eternal – that what you share with God in prayer will never be lost or disappear from His conscious through – that it will come up before Him for all of eternity? Two passages in Revelation are shocking to me. The first is when the symbols for all Believers through all of time (the 24 Elders – 12 for the 12 tribes of Israel and 12 for the 12 Apostles) come before the Lord Jesus to worship – we learn that part of their worship is to carry Believers prayers for all time to offer as part of that worship symbolized by “golden bowls of incense which are the prayers of the saints” (Revelation 5:8). As I understand that passage for Believers – all of our prayers are part of worship in Heaven and we will carry them when we ourselves worship before the Throne.
BUT as amazing as that is there is more. In the midst of the Great Tribulation when the seventh seal is opened by the Lord Jesus – something even more amazing happens. Suddenly everything stops and “there was (will be) silence in Heaven for about a half an hour” (Revelation 8:1). What would stop God from what He had revealed centuries ago He would do to judge the earth and its remaining inhabitants for their sin and rebellion? What could possibly be that important to God? The answer is the same – all the prayers of all Believers over all of history. Before it ends – God will once again consider your prayers Believer though you may be long dead. You are that important to Him. Keep this in mind when you pray for in that moment you are doing something with eternal consequences for you and for the people you prayer for. You prayers will affect others eternity.
Here it is in context:
“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.” (Revelation 8:1-4)
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
