Sweet Fragrance
"May my prayer be set before you like incense." Psalm 141:2
Today’s scripture seems straightforward enough, but it presents a quandary. Exactly how can the action of prayer be compared to incense?
In the very beginning, Moses received instructions regarding the divine worship and offerings the Israelites were to make to the Lord (Exodus 25-40). As commanded, Aaron as priest was to burn incense, made in part from the rare and valuable myrrh, both morning and evening on the altar of Incense. This altar was placed in front of the curtain in the Holy Place in the Tabernacle where the Lord would meet with them (Exodus 30:6-8). The offering sent a sweet fragrance heavenward paying homage to the God of Israel. It was an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to Him.
So, too, are your prayers to God your precious and sweet sacrifices of praise to Him. Just as Aaron regularly burned incense, you are to present our leaders and Troops to the Lord in intercession. Prayer, given to God persistently and humbly as a priority in your life, will be your sweet smelling fragrance before God…and a time when the Lord will meet with you.
- Jeana Kamp
Recommended Reading: Luke 18:1-14
"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
"Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
"Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’
“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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