For Heaven’s Sake — Thursday
Luke 18:1
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. (NLT)
Yesterday, we talked about the reality of Heaven and why we’ll be there—it’s the reality of the Cross. As the hymn says so eloquently, “Jesus paid it all.” But there’s another reason most of us will be in Heaven. No, it’s not our good deeds or the money we donated or all the ways we volunteered and served. They were important for sure, but not nearly as important as one other thing.
Lean in and listen. Imagine, if you will, a huge meeting hall with millions of people seated in folding chairs waiting to hear Jesus address the crowd. He begins by saying, “Thank you for your faithful service on Earth. It most certainly meant a lot… but there's another, primary reason you’re all here, something most of you never grasped on Earth.” Then, He points to a door on a far wall and says, “Focus your eyes on that door as I dispatch an angel to open it; then, I want you to ponder deeply what you’re about to see.”
After a few suspense-filled moments, the angel slowly opens the door. My guess is we’ll all weep over what we see… a frail but faithful dear woman or man, gray hair, face lined with wrinkles, kneeling by a chair, Bible laid open, praying the most intense prayers anyone has ever heard… prayers for you. Then, more doors will open, revealing multitudes of other prayer warriors, praying names that all of us will recognize—friends, family members, and loved ones we knew on Earth. We’ll also hear the names of many we thought would never make it—names of classmates, coworkers, neighbors, friends, teachers, and countless others we crossed paths with. Then Jesus will say, “Do you understand, dear ones? It was the prayers of the saints. The vast majority of you wouldn’t be here but for the prayers of the saints, anonymous but powerful, unknown to many of you, just common folks, but they’re all MVPs in the kingdom of God.”
Thursday’s Reflection
Revelation 5:8 says, "…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" (ESV). Never underestimate the power of prayer, friends… your prayers. They never go unnoticed by a Sovereign God, and when we all get Home, we will truly understand how much they mattered; someone prayed us into Heaven! Be sure to thank them when you get Home. If you know who they are and they’re still alive, thank them now.
