“[T]he twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying” (Revelation 4:10)

The greatest amongst men are nothing in the presence of the Lord.  This world is fueled by pride.  People want to be on top, in control, directing the lives of others.  There is no room for pride in the presence of the Lord.  Who can give anything to the Lord?  Has He not created all things?  You can only give Him what was His in the first place.  Give Him your praise.  Praise the Lord while you have your being.

Lord, help me to not fall into the trap of pride.  So many seek what they can never have.  No matter to what position You appoint me, may I always be willing to throw it at Your feet in worship.  You alone are worthy of all honor and praise.  You have done all that is needed.  You have given us what we need to be in Your presence.  Lead me Lord to humbly submit to You in and through all things.

Lord Jesus, You humbled Yourself unto death, even death on a cross.  Lead me, O Lord, to humbly walk with You wherever You direct.  Guide me to not think too highly of myself, but to humbly do what You give me to do.  Through all that may come in this world, establish me by grace in the way of life You have created.  Continue to lead me so that I may be where You are and become as You have made me to be.  Amen.

“And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever” (Revelation 4:4)

Those who will be eternally in the Lord’s presence give Him thanks.  You will be thankful for what He is doing.  Why wait?  Why not begin learning how to give thanks to the Lord.  He is good and His love endures forever.  He has made all things and He has called you into His presence to live according to His never-failing word.  Come then and join with those who are giving, glory, honor, and thanks.

Lord, I often do not have a good attitude.  Help me and change my attitude so that I may learn how to give thanks in every situation.  I may not like what is going on, but You have promised that there is purpose for everything.  Help me to trust Your promise above every circumstance.  Lead me in the way of living life heading toward the eternity You promise.  Lead me and teach me the way to live the true life You give by grace through faith.

Lord Jesus, You who are worthy of all praise have come so that I may have life and have it abundantly.  Guide me, dear Lord, in living life today with honor and thanksgiving.  Help me to see the steps I need to take and then help me to take them.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to live into this life of promise.  You, who are forever, have invited me into forever and by Your grace I shall arrive there to be with You.  Thank You Jesus!  Amen.

“And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come”  (Revelation 4:8).

From all parts of creation, and with full sight and knowledge, the faithful come to the place set apart, eternity, to worship the One through whom and for whom all things were made.  He invented time and all things.  He watches time.  He knows what He has made and there are those whom we do not know, but He does.  Come into His presence and join those who praise Him day and night.

Lord, I look at what seems odd to me and I stop.  Help me to see things as they are and to move beyond freezing up when I encounter what I do not know.  You already know me.  You see me on the timeline.  You see all my yesterdays, today and every tomorrow I will live in this life.  Guide me dear Lord to not stop along the way.  You have called me to walk in the way of salvation.  Lead me where You know I need to go.

Lord, the path is clear for You.  You have not promised that all will be the way I want it. But  You have promised that it will all work out for good.  Help me to understand that there is purpose in everything.  You see it and You are calling me beyond this life to come and join in the worship of eternity.  Lead me now and forever in the promise You have given me and help me to see more clearly with each step.  Amen.

“The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle” (Revelation 4:7).

A forceful being, a calm productive being, an image bearer, one who sees the whole terrain: are these not representative of the attributes of our Lord?  Are these not the attributes the children of God are to acquire?  The Lord is always instructing us, encouraging us to continue the journey of our faith.  Our temptation is to stagnate and think we’re done.  Until you meet the Lord face to face, there are things to be done.

Lord, You have given me a new life and You expect me to live it.  Guide me, Lord, in how to live life.  You who see all things know where I am and where You are taking me.  Lead me along the path of salvation so that I have the fortitude of a lion, the consistency of the calf, abide in my humanity, yet keep my eye upon all that You are doing and what is going on around me.

Lord Jesus, I have heard many things that describe these passages.  They titillate and encourage me to think freely about things.  But You have come to bring discipline to my mind.  Help me, Lord, to do less speculating and more applying of the things You give me to do.  Guide me in the way You know I need to go and help me to walk the steps of faith that You have placed before me.  Amen.

“[A]nd before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind” (Revelation 4:6).

“Something like” is a descriptive that lets us know that John is describing something He does not know how to describe.  How does one describe the majesty of the Lord?  In this age, we see a reflection of His beauty.  In heaven, there will be the real thing.  The Lord created beauty and from the place He rules, there is nothing the Lord does not see.  Why does the mere mortal play the game of thinking the Lord does not see what He does.

Lord, there are many mysteries around me here.  I cannot imagine what it is like in eternity.  Rather than forging down a speculation path, help me to understand the simple message that You are all-seeing.  You know the beginning from the end.  You invented time and of course You see it all, as we would say, at the same time.  You are the inventor of beauty.  The only thing I know to do Lord is turn to You, the Creator of all things, seeking to see things through Your eyes.

Lord Jesus, what I have just read makes it even more amazing that You came to earth in the humble guise of an ordinary man from a small village.  This too is a mystery I do not fully understand.  Help me, dear Lord, to move beyond pondering to trusting so that I may understand that the promises You give me are from eternity and will bring me to be where You are.  Guide me in the way of salvation, my Lord.  Amen.

“Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God” (Revelation 4:5)

A reminder again to see what is said in terms of what you know.  All authority and power belong to God.  After all, He created everything.  Seven is the number of completion.  You are not yet complete, but one day you will be.  The Lord is creating You to be like Christ.  His work, His Spirit, is always moving all who are in Christ ever closer to completion; what we often say in this meaning is the word perfection.

Lord, it is You who is working in me.  Your Spirit moves and that movement causes me to move ever closer to You.  Guide me dear Lord ever closer to the spirit of Christ so that I may grow to be more like Him each day.  You have given me the power to become Your child.  Help me in that goal through Your grace so that I continue to walk the narrow path of salvation You have set before me.

Thank You my Lord and Savior for You have come to lead the way.  This life is filled with many mysteries, so of course I cannot know all things.  But, I can know You.  Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear as You speak the words of truth.  You are the burning light and the working revelation of God.  You are the One who has come and the One who will come again.  Lead me now and forever.  Amen.

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads” (Revelation 4:4).

Twelve tribes, twelve disciples, twenty-four thrones.  The Lord gathers together the number that is right so that He completes what He has purposed.  What does this mean?  You can know for sure that this means that You have been invited to be a part of what He is creating.  He has done it over the whole of human history and has called from among every tribe, tongue, folk and nation, those who will come to Him.

Having wisdom is not about knowing all things, but about pursuing understanding so that it effects how you live.  Many look at this book and seek some sort of special knowledge.  What use is that?  So you know something.  What is of use is the truth and the truth is that in many and various ways, God spoke to us through the prophets, but now in these last days He speaks to us through His Son.  Jesus is His beloved Son, listen to Him.

Lord Jesus, You have made a revelation so that we would no longer be unbelieving, but believing.  Guide me in my belief so that I give thanks for all of the saints who have gone before.  Help me leave a trail to follow for all of the saints who will go after I am done here.  Graciously allow me to be a part of the work of Your church while there is time by being faithful to Your call.  Amen.

And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance” (Revelation 4:3).

How does one describe utter beauty?  You can try and figure out if something more is being said, but do not lose sight of the first things.  Beautiful and precious stones are descriptive words that are used to describe the One sitting on the throne.  We see the Jesus of Scripture, an ordinary man in appearance, but He is also One in Trinity, beyond all time.  Both are true and it is indescribable.

Lord, I confess that I have lost my awe and wonder.  Help me to regain the awe I had as a child.  Lead me to recognize the limitation of my ability to comprehend and stand in Your presence with awe.  What I see is not always what is real.  Sometimes what I do not see is what is real.  Lead me Lord to hear and see what You would have me hear and see.  Guide me in Your goodness to come to know You better each day.

Lord, all of Scripture is Your revelation of the way things are.  I see only in part.  I know only in part.  You have made a revelation and I understand only in part.  Guide me Lord to live in this reality while still journeying forward in Your goodness and mercy, living by the grace You have provided.  Help me to know that in You alone are all things held together.  Thank You for making me aware.  Amen.

“Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne” (Revelation 4:2).

How does the Lord show eternity to someone who is mortal?  From this verse forward, keep in mind that what is being described is almost undescribable.  One of the lessons fo us is to regain the wonder we had as children and realize that there are so many indescribable things in this world.  Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for His goodness and the things of wonder He has created.

Lord, I do try to figure too many things out.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of life so that I regain the wonder I had when I was a child.  With the things of the world, let me be skeptical.  With You, help me to be faithful and full of wonder.  When You show me things I do not comprehend, or tell me things that I do not understand, help me to continue moving forward by faith.  Lead me through all things to be in Your presence now and forever.

Lord, Guide me to see that in You alone are all things held together.  You are God and You know all things.  What is my knowledge but a drop of the vast ocean of Yours.  Keep me in the place of awe and wonder when I approach You in prayer.  Guide me to have a child-like attitude in accordance with what Jesus taught us to have.  You know what is needed.  Thank You for providing all that is needed.  Amen.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things” (Revelation 4:1).

What is going to take place?  The Lord has revealed what He has revealed.  Are you willing to receive the revelation?  Many have the word of the Lord hit their ears and then it falls off.  Let the word which the Lord has given sink into your heart.  He has come to lead the way through all of the trials and travails of this life.  He will make you to be like Jesus.  Behold, He stands at the door.

You know Holy Spirit that the word comes at me, but often it bounces off and does not go in.  There are so many parts of my existence in which You are a thought, but I do not let You in to lead me.  The hindrances are there, but so also is the desire to walk the path You have set before me.  Let me not be unknowing, but knowing, having received the revelation You have given me to walk the narrow path.

Lord Jesus, You always looked to the Father and told us that You did only as He directed.  You are given me direction now.  Help me to keep my eyes upon You and walk the path You set before me today.  Guide me in Your goodness, grace, and mercy to humbly submit all to You and see what You will show me.  You have given me the gift of faith.  Help me in the faith You have given me to receive every revelation You give.  Amen.