“May Your Prayer Go Up To God Like Incense!”

“May Your Prayer Go Up To God Like Incense!”(Rev.8:1-4).
“…The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”
What catches our attention in this verse are incense, prayers and angel. These three also feature in Luke. Zechariah was inside the temple burning incense when the angel appeared to him to announce that he was soon to become a father. When Zechariah was burning the incense,“all the assembled worshippers were praying outside”(1:9ff).
We no longer expect mediatorial roles of angels because we have direct access to God as the Holy Spirit channels our prayers through Jesus Christ who intercedes on our behalf.
The use of incense is not popular within Protestant and Pentecostal circles. To those that do, incense burning is considered to add a sense of solemnity and mystery in worship.
The use of incense may be limited because God sees it as hypocritical symbolism that is not matched by inner spiritual transformation. God says, “…Your incense is detestable to me…”(Is.1:13).
What is important for us today is the prayers of the saints. The prayers of the saints should not mingle with incense, but rather as the psalmist prayed, “May my prayer be set before you like incense”(141:2).
Let us with contrite and repentant hearts make our prayers which will be acceptable to the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour who is sitted at the right of the Father interceding for us.
Prayer: LORD, accept the prayer of a contrite and repentant heart, in the name of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.