Swinging The Censer
Monday, September 28
Psalm 141:2 (NIV)
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.”
Devotion
In the Old Testament, incense was made from carefully prepared aromatic ingredients. It was holy, set apart for God, and used in the sanctuary. When the incense was burned, its fragrance and smoke rose upward, symbolizing prayers rising into the presence of God.
David prayed, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.”
What a beautiful picture.
Sometimes we pray for God to change an impossible situation, for a miracle, for a door to open, for a mountain to move, or for a barrier to break. But sometimes the greatest miracle is not that God removes the situation. Sometimes the miracle is that He gives us the strength to walk through it.
As Pastor Franklin said in his message on Sunday, sometimes we are not praying for God to give us a miracle; we are praying for the strength to trust the God of infinite power.
We swing the censer not only for ourselves, but because the fragrance of prayer can reach someone else. There is a sweetness that comes from prayer. When we have gone as far as we can go, when we have cried all the tears we can cry, and we do not know what else to do, we can take it to the Lord.
Prayer may not remove every difficult situation, but it reveals Jesus in the middle of the problem. And when we encounter Him there, something changes.
The atmosphere changes, our hearts change, and our attitude changes.
The more we pray, the more that sweetness fills our lives. The less we pray, the easier it becomes to complain.
The secret is simple: get alone with God. Take the pain, the fear and what you cannot fix to the altar.
When the enemy tells you there is no way out, remember: he is a liar, and he is defeated.
Swing the censer.
Let the prayer rise.
Let the faith rise.
Let the worship rise.
Prayer may not always change what is happening around us, but it can change what is happening within us.
“May my prayer be set before you like incense.”
Praise the name of the Lord.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Oh Lord, my God, I swing the censer of my life before You, my desires, my dreams, and all that I am. Receive it as an offering. Change the way I see. Teach me to trust You, and give me the grace to see with Your eyes what my own eyes cannot see. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
There is a sweetness in coming before the Lord in prayer, whether it’s the first thing you do in the morning or after the day is done in the evening. The lifting of the hands is a gesture of thanksgiving and praise as you make your requests before the Heavenly Father. After listening to this week’s sermon, make it a goal this week to change the way you think about prayer and commune with the Lord.
Resources
- When life feels unbearable and nothing seems to change, hope isn't lost. Learn how to find strength and peace in Jesus even in life's hardest seasons through yesterday’s message, “God, Why Are You Ruining My Life?”
- Download this week’s wallpaper and keep a powerful reminder close: Prayer changes everything. Wallpaper.