“And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.” (Revelation 8:1-5, NASB)

There is more to our prayers than mere words. We just cannot see or understand what is happening in heaven with our prayers. The Lamb opened the seventh seal, thereby fully revealing the book of judgment. Then seven angels standing before God were each given a trumpet to sound. Yet, before the angels sounded their trumpets, another angel arrived and performed an unusual ceremony that incorporated the prayers of the saints, influencing events on earth. It says,

“And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And 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, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

There is more to our prayers than just words. There are more amazing things happening in heaven with our prayers than God just listening to us. The ritual performed by this angel is highly complex and possesses elements that are challenging for us to comprehend and interpret. However, one thing that we can know for certain is that the “prayers of the saints” are powerful and they play an important role in the judgment of God. On earth, our prayers seem simple, wordy, and weak, but in heaven they are enigmatic, substantive, and potent.

Look at how our prayers appeared to those who were present in heaven. Our prayers appeared as smoke-like incense poured upon the golden altar of fire before the throne of God. The twenty-four elders surrounding the throne of God were given “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (Rev.5:8). These elders somehow collected the prayers offered by believers on earth into their golden bowls and then poured them out upon the golden altar. And since the prayers are described as incense, we can assume that their flames rose up denser, stronger, and more noticeable as more prayers were added.

Next, the angel took his golden censer, which had much incense of its own, and added it to the prayers of the saints on the golden altar. So, if the incense in the golden altar symbolized the prayers of the saints, whose prayer was this angel adding? Maybe the prayers of the persecuted and martyred during the Tribulation? Your guess is as good as mine.

Finally, the angel took his golden censer, filled it with the fire of the altar, and flung it to the earth, and as it fell there followed “peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.” Wow! I knew our prayers were powerful, but I didn’t realize that they were this powerful! And because it is simple, we can become discouraged at times because they appear weak and ineffective. However, God takes the prayers of the saints very seriously, and He uses them to make a powerful impact on the outcome on earth. There is more to our prayers than mere words.

In other words, how prayers actually work in heaven is very serious, complicated, and difficult, but God has made it simple for us believers today. Through Christ, we no longer need the Old Testament sacrificial system, the Levitical priesthood, the earthly temple, or the Day of Atonement. Through the person and the works of Christ, we enter the throne of grace by faith and offer up our prayers. Then Christ, our Great High Priest and also the Lamb of God, receives our prayers and directs them properly towards heaven as a sweet-smelling aroma pleasing to God. It should make us rethink the value of prayer and confidently practice praying without ceasing every day.

• Why do you think God likened the prayers of the saints to a golden censer and incense?
• Knowing that our prayers today will have a great role on earth and in the Tribulation, how does it strengthen your prayer life?