18 September Psalm 141

May my prayer be set before you like incense?Psalm 141:1-2(NIV) I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me; hear me when I call to you. May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Our prayers to God are akin to the sweet aroma of incense to Him.According to John Paul Jackson, here is how prayer relates to incense: “For incense to release its fragrance, it requires fire; it must burn. In a similar manner, God ignites the spark within us to pray; He starts the fire within us, prompting us to pray His desires back to Him. Prayer originates in the heart of God and returns there, enriched by our involvement, making it even more precious to Him. Salt, mixed with the spices for incense, represents us as the salt of the Earth, enhancing the fragrance.”Revelation 5:8(ESV) And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.Further, Revelation 8:3-4(ESV) states: And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.Contemplating this scene in Revelation 8 brings comfort. In Christ, our incense offering - our prayers - are always a pleasing aroma, a fragrance that gives our heavenly Father rest and joy in His work of salvation, as is evident in His children. Thus, the Father delights in our prayers, thanksgivings, pleas, joys, and requests made in sorrow. He receives our incense sacrifice, and He will accept and listen to them. Because of Christ's atonement, our prayers are acceptable, providing comfort every time we offer them to Him, fully aware of Christ's atoning work. He will surely hear us, and in His divine manner, answer.