My wife, Jelayne, and Kathy Wingard have been leading a small group on Wednesday nights centered around the Old Testament prophets.

Recently Jelayne shared a passage that they were getting ready to teach on. Click on the reference to read it.

2 Kings 6: 8-23

I was reminded that there is a “spiritual curtain” that exists in our world. If we could pull it back we would see the much larger spiritual world at work all around us. Isn’t it strange to consider that God is present and working in a very real way every minute of every day?

Sometimes I wonder how differently my day would go if I was more aware of the spiritual world interacting with mine. I mean, if I could see angels or see demons or see God’s hand moving through all creation I have to imagine that it would greatly influence how I lived and who I was living for.

Well… I have been practicing a discipline to help keep me in mind of how real God is.

Revelation chapter 4 describes the throne room in heaven.

Then I looked, and, oh!—a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, “Ascend and enter. I’ll show you what happens next.”

^2-6I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!—a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea.

^6-8Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals, all eyes. Eyes to look ahead, eyes to look behind. The first Animal like a lion, the second like an ox, the third with a human face, the fourth like an eagle in flight. The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break: 
   Holy, holy, holy 
   Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong, 
   The Was, The Is, The Coming.

^9-11Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne—the age-after-age Living One—the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting, 
   Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God! 
   Take the glory! the honor! the power! 
   You created it all; 
   It was created because you wanted it.

What an amazing picture. Can you imagine standing in that room? I think it might be hard to remember to breath. I would probably try to hide in the back behind someone else.

My discipline is this:

I read through Revelation chapter 4 before I pray. It reminds me that although I am praying to my Father, I am also praying to a very real, all powerful, magnificent God King.

Needless to say, it has changed how I pray. I’ve also noticed that throughout the day if I can imagine myself standing in that room, I seem to live much more in the present. What I mean is that suddenly my problems, challenges and distractions seem very small and using my day to please God becomes much more important.

Do you need to refocus?