Words of Hope Daily Devotional
Prayer in Heaven
Read: Revelation 4
Day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy.” (v. 8)
We don’t know the first words someone prayed when “people began to call upon the name of the LORD” (Gen. 4:26). We do know the words of prayer that will echo through all eternity. The four living creatures of Revelation 4 never stop praying, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty” (v. 8). The twenty-four elders join in, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God” (v. 11).
As a child, I remember being disappointed to learn heaven would be an eternal worship service. It was because I didn’t sufficiently comprehend the beauty of God’s glory compared to the depth of my sin that Christ saved me from. I still only “know in part” (1 Cor. 13:9), but I am learning more. Time with an Iranian woman named Effat helped me comprehend better why I will never tire.
Effat came to a conference in a secret location for the underground church of Iran. In her sixties now, she has endured life under an evil regime that controlled all of life. Seven years before I met her, she became a believer but had never been with other Christians. She had not been baptized or ever tasted Communion. One morning I found her dancing with arms outstretched while praising Jesus. Her face displayed a joy that could never tire. I imagine our experience of heaven will be like that. We are, as Paul says, being transformed “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor. 3:18). Even if it’s hard to imagine, we will never tire of such glory.
As you pray, worship God’s glory.
About the Author
Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Preach It Brother!
Read: 1 Chronicles 10:1-14; Mark 13:5 So Saul died for his breach of faith. (1 Chron. 10:13) Early in my time in parish ministry, I was part of a preacher exchange. I was assigned to preach in a primarily African American congregation
Revisiting the Prayer of Jabez
Read: 1 Chronicles 4:9-10; Mark 11:23 Oh . . . that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain! (1 Chron. 4:10) When our children were young, they often begged for things at the store. As parents we would
Roots
Read: 1 Chronicles 3:1, 10-24; Matthew 13:5-8 The sons of Elioenai: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani, seven. (1 Chron. 3:24) Recently, my wife and I were given a gift that would trace our ancestry using our DNA. The results
Joined to God’s Story
Read: 1 Chronicles 1:6-28; Romans 15:4 Adam, Seth, Enosh . . . the sons of Abraham . . . (1 Chron. 1:1, 28) The book The Great DeChurching reports that in the United States more than forty million people left their local Christian congregations in the
Finding Christ in Chronicles
Read: 1 Chronicles 1:1-5; Acts 20:27 Adam, Seth, Enosh . . . (1 Chron. 1:1) We all have favorite books and passages of the Bible, but most Christians have parts of the Bible that we avoid. This month, we are going to
The End of the Story
Read: Daniel 12:1-10 At that time your people shall be delivered. (v. 1) I love books. I read professionally and recreationally, and I enjoy every kind of literature (including the occasional thriller). Generally, I don’t like to spoil a book’s