Worship in Heaven - 24 October 2008

We end the week by entering The Throne Room again, this time with St. John.

 ...Around the throne in the centre were four living creatures covered front and back with eyes. The first creature was like a lion, the second one was like a bull, the third one had the face of a human, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings, and their bodies were covered with eyes. Day and night they never stopped singing,

   "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord,the all-powerful God,

   who was and is and is coming!"

    The living creatures kept praising, honoring, and thanking the one who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever. At the same time the twenty-four elders knelt down before the one sitting on the throne. And as they worshiped the one who lives forever, they placed their crowns in front of the throne and said,

  “Our Lord and God, you are worthy to receive glory, honour, and power.

You created all things, and by your decision they are and were created."

Revelation 4:6-11[CEV]

Some of the imagery in this vision will be familiar to you, if you read all of the chapter yesterday,  and the noise of the worship in heaven is just the same as in Isaiah’s vision. My instinct is to join in, but is it ok to repeat the same words of praise over and over? Jesus said, just before he taught the Lord’s prayer,

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 6:7

I don’t think Jesus is banning repetitive prayer, as long as it is not mindless or vain.  If the angelic multitudes can shout these words of praise over and over, day and night, so can I!

As you pray back today’s passage join in with the Heavenly hosts - out loud is best! Click on the link for the complete vision Revelation 4

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever.  Amen.

I have found these books helpful:

Praying the Bible, The Pathway to Spirituality - Wesley & Stacey Campbell

God’s Priorities - J John

Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster