Psalm 141:2
²Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
This Psalm is written by David during one of his many times of life distress, perhaps, as some suggest, when David was in the wilderness being pursued by King Saul, or maybe while David was fleeing from his son Absalom. As matter of fact, David started off the Psalm asking God to make haste & give ear to him (Psalm 141:1).
So, he clearly didn’t have the time or resources to burn incense or offer a sacrifice like they usually did in the tabernacle. David prayed that his prayer be set forth to God like incense, a pleasing aroma to Him because he understood the purpose of incense.
In Scripture, incense is often associated with prayer. In a vision, Apostle John by the Spirit, sees into the heavens and is shown this amazing truth; the elders around the throne “were holding golden vial/bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” (Revelation 8:3 & 4 and 5:8.)
Revelation 8: 4
4And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.
Prayer is much more than petition or at least it should be. Prayer is a mechanism by which man and God are connected, it is a relationship (in fellowship). We learn that when you pray, your words are like incense, a sweet pleasant aroma to God and His words should be the same to you, a beautiful exchange it is. God says His eyes and ears and heart are attentive to your prayer (2 Chronicles 7: 15 &16). Your vial/bowl of prayer before God should always be full! Remember you are God’s priest!
We see Moses’ task to Aaron is to burn incense to atone for the people not to be killed by the plague which had been sent by God. (Read Numbers 16:46-50) The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. We understand that Jesus atoned for us, once and for all when He died for us. He became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. So, your prayer is powerful and effective because of this, it can change everything, even God’s plan. (James 5:16)
The fact that the incense was always burning at the altar means that we should always pray.
Think about it! As you pray, you send incense; fragrance of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God, resulting into tremendous changes.
1 Thessalonians 5:17- Pray without ceasing.
The Lord’s instruction to us is to maintain a constant attitude of prayer. For you to nurture an unwavering prayer life you must just pray. Prayer begets more prayer, and on the other hand, a lack of prayer (“prayerlessness”) leads to further neglect of prayer. Our hearts become hardened the farther we distance ourselves from God. So, continue to pray, maintain the momentum by the help of the Spirit of God.(Pray until You Pray)
James 5:17-18-YLT
¹⁷Elijah was a man like affected as we, and with prayer he did pray — not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months;
¹⁸and again he did pray, and the heaven did give rain, and the land did bring forth her fruit.)
God gave the instructions on how incense should be burnt including a recipe/formula for making the incense. He stipulated that no other incense ever be burned on the altar (Read Exodus 30: 34–38). Therefore, we must worship God in truth (His Word) and in Spirit). God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24.)
Today our prayers are offered through Jesus by faith, they are a sweet and pleasing aroma to God. Let us be committed to prayer. We are no longer to offer incense on the altar of incense, for it was but a shadow of the substance that is Christ. Because of Christ, our eternal, perfect, and faithful High Priest, we can now enter God’s holy presence by faith, with full assurance and confidence that we receive what we pray for.
Prophetic Utterance:
My prayer is like incense, a pleasing aroma to God and an influence on the atmosphere. I am inspired to always pray. Every time I move into a place, wrong things begin to correct themselves because of the aroma of Christ that I carry. I am the influence, a sweet savor of Christ! Thank you, Jesus!
Guiding text:
2 Corinthians 2:14-16 KJV
14Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. 15For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 16to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
James 5:17-18
¹⁷Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.