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Day 284 Promise 753 Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. Do you pray? Do you believe God hears your prayers? How do you treat prayer? Jesus showed John your prayers are important. They are kept in a golden vial. David asked God to let his prayer go before Him as incense. Psalm 141:2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (KJV) As Christians, your prayers are important to God. He keeps them in a golden vial and pours them out as incense on the altar. Not one prayer goes unnoticed. He hears every prayer you pray and acts on them. So then, as God hears and acts on every prayer, why are your prayer meetings sparse? Why do only a small handful of people attend prayer meetings? Do you believe your prayers or needs are insignificant to God? Do you think He has more important matters to take care of to attend to your prayers? Why don’t you pray? Look at one reason why a prophet didn’t pray. Jonah 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore, I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repent thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. God called Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach destruction to the people because they were evil. Jonah fled from God, but a great fish swallowed him when he was thrown from the ship due to a great storm. He knew if he did what God told him, He would forgive the people of Nineveh and not destroy them. He didn’t want to pray for the people of Nineveh for their salvation. When he relented and asked God’s forgiveness in the belly of the whale, and preached to Nineveh, God did exactly as Jonah expected. He brought salvation to the people instead of destruction. You might wonder why Jonah didn’t want to obey God and go to Nineveh. Nineveh was an enemy to the Jews. Jonah didn’t want God to save them. He would rather die than see salvation come to his enemies. God has a purpose. Every prayer you pray is important, even those you don’t want to pray. God hears the cry of your heart, even when your mouth isn’t speaking. God puts every prayer into a golden vial. He answers every prayer. He hears every request. You need to pray with expectation, knowing God will hear you and put your request in His vial. Let God hear your prayers. Let’s pray: Father, forgive me for not praying as I should. Help me give all my requests to You because You hear even the cry of my heart. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 22 May 2021 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay