Dear Amy,

What happens to all the prayers that we pray?

So many prayers are prayed, don’t you think? Prayers of compassion, of kindness, of longing, of desperation, of joyful surrender. Prayers for deliverance for God’s most faithful servants. Prayers for healing. Prayers offered with tears, and prayers offered from broken hearts. Where do all these prayers go?

The apostle John gives us a peek into the very throne room of heaven. Look what we find there.

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

― Revelation 5:6-8

Here in these golden bowls of incense are the prayers of the saints. Our prayers. That’s right, those prayers we pray which please the Lord are kept in golden bowls in the throne room of heaven, held by the twenty-four elders. And then what?

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

These prayers are a fragrant offering to the Lord on the golden altar before his very throne! A gift of worship from the saints to the one we adore. Our prayers. Our gift of worship. May my prayers so please the Lord that he keep them in a golden bowl for that day. Your prayers too, Amy.

But that’s not the end of the matter. Look what happens next.

Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

― Revelation 8:5

Many prayers seem not to be answered, but they are certainly not overlooked. There is a day coming, a terrifying day, when the judgment of God will finally be unleashed on all the earth, when his justice will finally be done and all his faithful ones will finally be delivered. Some of our prayers will be held until that day.

But there are other prayers which are not held back. Praise him for those prayers which please him to answer far more quickly.

I have been aware, Amy, of quite how difficult things have been for you in the classroom for the longest time, and I have been praying that this year may be radically different. That this year you and your students together may know joy in the teaching and learning experience in your classroom, and that this would be a gift from the Lord. For a good many weeks from the beginning of the year this has been my most earnest prayer for you, and I just heard that the Lord has begun to answer that prayer. Praise the Lord! And bless you, Amy!

Let us continue to pray prayers, Amy, that are a fragrant offering of worship to the Lord, knowing that for some we will see miraculous answers now, while others are kept in golden bowls until that day! 🙏