Thoughts on Prayer –Incense

May my prayer be established as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalm 141:2

Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth...

Revelation 8:1-5 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
We spoke about agreement the last time we gathered around prayer. Thy will be done, thy kingdom come here on earth as it is in here on earth. Prayers are ascending and results come back and change the landscape here on earth. Amazingly it is before a throne , so we are before a King. A throne symbolizes power, rule, and authority.
Exodus 30:1-10“Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 4 Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law—before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law—where I will meet with you. “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come. 9 Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the Lord.”

incense must be burnt; symbolic of sacrifice, death to self and surrender.

We stand on earth and our prayer goes up like the smoke of incense , what we say comes up before the LORD. There are instructions on the time , where and how to offer/burn the incense , meaning it’s not about my will but the Father’s will. Prayer is the culture of the kingdom. It is expressing a union of man and God. For incense to be incense it must be burnt, symbolic of sacrifice , death to self and surrender. Here is prayer; Romans 12:1-2 So then, my friends, because of God’s great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. 2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.
Acts 10:1-6 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

Jesus is our atonement . His finished works give us boldness in prayer

Jesus is our atonement . His finished works give us boldness in prayer Hebrews 9:12 – Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hebrews 13:12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Hebrews 4:16 Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it. We do not approach God on our own merit Hallelujah, we are accepted in the beloved ! Spurgeon says that to pass through the wall of fire which surrounds the throne we can only pass by way of the one door, namely, the body and blood of our great Mediator, Sacrifice, and Substitute. Glory!
Leviticus 10:1-3 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3 Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:” ‘Among those who approach me I will be proved holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.’” Aaron remained silent. (There is no emotionalism in this place, they offered unauthorized fire and were executed in the very presence of God)
Psalm 141:2 May my prayer be established as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.
Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. 27 And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with his will.
2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. 15 For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful

2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ’s victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. 15 For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost.

Key takeaways from scriptures today:

Approach Father in prayer with the right attitude. He is holy. Be still . Listen so you can be in sync with the will of God in prayer. Ecclesiastes 5:1-3 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words be few.3 For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be watchful – Colossians 4: 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Relationship and partnership with God . Our prayers ascend, His response descends.
Guard your heart – a renewed and sanctified heart is the censer from which the incense ascends from , may we be humble, contrite and tremble at God’s Word – those are the people God blesses.

Isaiah 56:7-8 I will welcome you into my holy mountain and make you joyful in my house of prayer. I will accept every sacrifice and offering that you place on my altar, for my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.’” 8The Lord God Almighty, who brings home the outcasts of Israel, says, “There are many others I will gather, and I will add them to those who are already gathered.”

FATHER LORD . WE GIVE OURSELVES UNTO PRAYER.