Why Your Prayers Are Never Wasted
In Revelation 8, John sees something that should steady every believer who has ever struggled in prayer. He sees an altar in heaven. “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.” This is temple language. In the Old Testament tabernacle, and later in the temple, there was a golden altar placed just before the veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. On that altar, incense was burned continually. It was the place of intercession, where the priest would offer incense and pray on behalf of the people, and the smoke would rise before God as a sweet aroma. Now John sees the reality behind the shadow. He sees heaven itself, the true temple, the throne of God, and before that throne an altar. And at that altar are the prayers of the saints. Your prayers are in heaven, not forgotten, not dismissed, not wasted, but brought before the throne of God.
John says that an angel stands at the altar with a golden censer, but this is priestly work. In the Old Testament, only a priest could stand at the altar and offer incense before God. Angels did not perform that role. What John sees is symbolic. Earlier in Revelation, he saw Jesus described as a Lamb; here, he sees Him in priestly imagery. This is the work of a mediator. Scripture tells us there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He always lives to make intercession for us. He has entered into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. This is what John is seeing. Christ stands at the altar. Christ takes the prayers of His people. Christ presents them before the Father. We do not pray to saints, nor do we pray to Mary; we pray in the name of Jesus Christ because He is our great High Priest, our advocate, our go-between.
John says these are “the prayers of all the saints.” If you are in Christ, you are a saint. The word simply means holy one, not because you are perfect and not because a church declared you special, but because you have been set apart by God and sealed by His Spirit. So this is not describing a spiritual elite; it is describing ordinary believers. Every cry for help, every whispered confession, every desperate plea, every “Lord, how long?” and every “Come, Lord Jesus” is gathered and brought before the throne.
But notice something else: it is not just the prayers rising; it is the prayers with the incense. In the temple, the incense was a sweet-smelling aroma that signified something pleasing to God. So what is the incense here? It is the righteousness of Christ. You cannot pray without Jesus. You cannot approach the throne of God on your own merit. Christ takes your imperfect prayers and adds His perfect righteousness. He takes your weakness and adds His glory. He takes your stumbling words and makes them acceptable before the Father. This is why we need a mediator. When you say, “I don’t know how to pray,” the Spirit intercedes in your weakness, and the Son takes those Spirit-shaped prayers and presents them before the Father. Even when you cannot pray well, Christ prays for you. Even when you are discouraged and feel like nothing is happening, He always lives to make intercession.
Earlier in Revelation, John saw the souls of martyrs under the altar crying out, “How long, O Lord, until you avenge our blood?” They were told to rest a little longer because justice was coming. Now, in chapter 8, we see their prayers brought before the throne. Those cries were not wasted, and those pleas for justice were not ignored. Christ takes those prayers, adds the incense, and they rise before God. What happens next? The fire from that altar is thrown to the earth, and there is thunder, lightning, and earthquake as the presence of God arrives in judgment. The very altar where the prayers were offered becomes the place from which judgment proceeds. The prayers of God’s people matter in the unfolding of God’s purposes.
Sometimes prayer feels small and weak, as though you are speaking into the air, but heaven tells a different story. There is an altar, there is incense, there is a Mediator, and there is a throne, and your prayers rise before God. Not one of them is wasted. When you pray for Christ to return, when you pray for justice, when you pray for perseverance, and when you pray through tears, those prayers are gathered, purified, and presented by your High Priest. One day, the final prayer will be answered: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Until that day, do not lose heart. Keep praying, because your prayers are heard, your prayers are accepted, and your prayers are used, for Christ stands at the altar.