On fire in prayer?

Exodus 30; Proverbs 6; John 9; Galatians 5

The word incense comes from Latin incendere meaning "to burn". Most incense is an aromatic substance (usually a resin) burned for its pleasing aroma, however some use it for various reasons including superstitions about what it does. In the Bible, incense was used in OT times during worship. In the NT, it is clearly associated with prayer suggesting that those OT uses were types or symbols pointing to prayer.

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 . . . . 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. (Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4)

Exodus 30 suggests several things about prayer. For one thing, it was offered by the priest with the following instructions: “You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it (the altar), or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.” (Exodus 30:9) This and the context suggests a special focus on a way of praying related to  atonement. It might mean burning incense refers to prayer concerning what Jesus has done for sinners. He has appeased the wrath of God on sin and set free those who believe.

In the same chapter, the temple tax is described as the same for everyone regardless of their financial status. This is also true for God’s atoning salvation. No matter where we stand in life, rich or poor, strong or weak, the price of our salvation is the same. Jesus died for each of us, a humbling yet awesome truth and certainly part of prayer.

This chapter also speaks of the need for God’s workers to keep their hands clean before ministry. This points to keeping short accounts with God before I try to do anything in His name.

The last section describes the incense as a mixture of various ingredients pointing to prayers of various kinds for the lives of others. The bottom line is that when I pray this way, my focus is not on me and I don’t pray so I look good (smell good!) in front of others:

“And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.” (Exodus 30:37–38)

These four readings are rich in truth. God didn’t stop speaking at the first one. He gave me one more truth for today. It is Jesus’ words to the religious Pharisees who argued with Him. They insisted they were not the sinful people He said they were.

Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. (John 9:39–41)

Instead of insisting they were blind, Jesus points out that they claimed to see — better than anyone else, for that matter. But that was their problem! Those who are confident of their ability to see do not ask for sight. So they remain blind with smug self-satisfaction and self-righteousness. There are none so blind as those who do not know they are blind.

APPLY: Obviously I must keep praying for all those God puts on my heart. Less obvious but just as important is to guard my own heart against any sense of self-righteousness or smugness thinking that I have my life together and am above those who do not know Jesus. I have not earned nor do I deserve this place where I stand, forgiven by God because of the blood of Christ. May my prayers today be sweet incense in the nostrils of Almighty God who graciously provides atonement for sin.