Because He Leans In

 

...the prayers of all the saints

   on the golden altar

         before the throne....

            Revelation 8. 3

Many avoid the book of 

              Revelation

because of deep truths

  far beyond our comprehension.

But if we focus on what

     we do not understand at all,

     we miss what we can grasp.

This verse is one of them.

Visualize our prayers

     on a golden altar,

not fixed up

   with words that are not ours,

but just as we are,

       in all our messiness.

Praying is sacred and precious to God,

because our prayers

   open our hearts to Him.

God does not just listen

                to our prayers,

or answer on demand,

but He leans in

   as we come before Him.

God lifts our prayers to the altar

      when we come to Him.

He responds in eternal ways

we may or may never see

   until the Other Side of life.

God treasures our prayers,

  because He treasures us.

O LORD,

Our prayers lay on 

        Your golden altar.

We come before Your throne.

We bring our sorrows.

We bring our joys.

You take us up into Your arms.

How differently we would 

   navigate what is before us,

if we realized how much

     You cherish our prayers.

And how much 

            You cherish us.