Revelation 8

“When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (8:1). This extended silence in heaven emphasized the powerful, sacred importance of what would happen next. An angel approached God’s throne with a bowl of burning incense mixed with “the prayers of all the saints,” and these were offered on the golden altar. The smoke of the incense and prayers went up before the Lord and then was thrown down to earth.

“And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightening ...” (8:5). Our prayers are precious to the Lord. They rise before His throne, and in His time and way, they powerfully accomplish His good purposes on earth.