With war and suffering at the forefront of our thoughts, we asked the question, "does prayer even work?" In Revelation 5, we see prayer as incense - and this might confirm our worst fears about prayer - that it is a light and ethereal thing with little power. Yet, Jesus in Luke 18 teaches us that we pray 1) with hope for a reimagined world marked by justice, 2) persistently, surrendering to Him our timelines and expectations, and 2) with confidence that He will act. In Revelation 8, we also see what the incense was intended to do. In God's hands, the prayers of his people are released into the world to enact His purposes.