Our Father’s Treasures 我们天父的宝藏

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Dexu Xia

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Apr 3, 2025, 5:40:47 PM4/3/25

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They were holding golden bowls full of . . . the prayers of God’s people. Revelation 5:8

Today's Insights In Revelation 4, the apostle John heard a voice that said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place” (v. 1). Immediately, he was taken to heaven “in the Spirit” (v. 2), where he saw an incredible vision of heaven’s throne room (vv. 3-11). In chapter 5, Christ is introduced as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah” (v. 5). Almost immediately, though, He’s described as “a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain” (v. 6). This one who lovingly receives our prayers will also one day open the scroll we read of in today’s passage (vv. 7-14).

Today's Devotional It’s just an old pocketknife, worn and tarnished with time. The blade is chipped and the handle notched, but it was one of my father’s treasures, kept in a box on his dresser until he gave it to me. “It’s one of the few things I have from your grandfather,” he told me. My grandfather died when my father was young, and Dad treasured the knife because he treasured his father.

The Bible tells us that God also has an unlikely treasure, something we might not expect. In Revelation, we see a throne in heaven encircled by “four living creatures” and “twenty-four elders,” bowing before Jesus他们 in worship (chs. 4-5). Each one is holding “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” (5:8). In ancient times, incense was something precious, used by kings (think of the gold, frankincense, and myrrh offered to Jesus in Matthew 2:11). Our prayers may not seem like much to us at times, but God wants them lifted before Him always.

Revelation 5 emphasizes the worthiness of Jesus because of His sinless life and loving death for us. Jesus’ worthiness points us to why God values our prayers. Our prayers are precious to God because we’re precious to Him. Because He loves us with such selfless, priceless, and merciful love, He longs for us to stay close to Him in prayer.

Reflect & Pray

How will you love God with your prayers today? Who and what can you bring before Him in loving prayer?

Loving Savior, You’re worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12). By James Bank

“他们拿着金碗，碗里盛满了……上帝子民的祷告。”（启示录 5:8 ）

今日经文启示录 5章7-14 节

今日心得在启示录第4章中，使徒约翰听到一个声音说：“上到这里来，我要告诉你必发生的事”（1节）。他立刻被“圣灵”带到天堂（2节），在那里他看到在天堂宝座的地方不可思议的景象（3-11节）。在第5章中，基督被介绍为“犹大支派的狮子”（5节）。然而，几乎立刻，他又被描述为“一只羔羊，看起来像是被杀过的”（6节）。这位充满爱意地接受我们祈祷的人，有一天也会打开我们在今天的经文中读到的书卷（7-14节）。

今日灵修这只是一把旧的折刀，随着时间的流逝而磨损和失去光泽。刀刃有缺口，刀柄有缺口，但它是我父亲的珍宝之一，一直放在梳妆台上的一个盒子里，直到他把它送给我。“这是我从你祖父那里得到的为数不多的东西之一，”他告诉我。我祖父在我父亲年轻时就去世了，爸爸很珍惜这把刀，因为他很珍惜他的父亲。

圣经告诉我们，上帝也拥有一件，可能是我们想不到的出人意外的宝藏。在启示录中，我们看到“四个活物”和“二十四个长老” 围着天堂的宝座，在耶稣面前屈身敬拜（4-5章）。每个人都拿着“盛满香的金碗，这香就是上帝子民的祈祷”（5:8）。在古代，香是一种珍贵的东西，是国王使用的（想想马太福音2章11节中献给耶稣的黄金、乳香和没药）。有时，我们的祷告对我们来说似乎不算什么，但上帝希望我们永远把祷告献给他。

启示录第5章强调了耶稣的价值，因为他一生无罪，所以，他能代替我们而死。耶稣的价值向我们指出了上帝重视我们祷告的原因。我们的祷告对上帝来说很珍贵，因为我们对他来说很珍贵。因为他以无私、无价和仁慈的爱来爱我们，所以他渴望我们在祷告中靠近他。

反思和祈祷今天你将如何用你的祷告来爱上帝？在充满爱的祷告中，你能把谁和什么事带到他面前？

慈爱的救主，你配得“权柄、丰富、智慧、能力、尊贵、荣耀、颂赞！”（启示录 5:12）。