Did you know that prayer has a scent?
I never knew that. But then I read in Revelation 5:8, "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints". And again in 8:4, "And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand."
Also, David knew the sweet smell of prayer. Psalm 141:2 "Let my prayer be set before you as incense".
The Bible tells me prayer has a smell like incense and that God fully experiences those prayers and is aware of those prayers and pays attention to those prayers! The whole idea that prayers are collected in golden bowls with simmering incense in the throne room of God has changed my prayer life! That means that my lowly, simple, heart-wrenching, ordinary grammar, tearful, insistent prayers -- actually rise to the throne of Almighty God!
I know I've read scripture about how important and vital prayer is, that prayers are heard, that prayers are answered. And I daily pray. But now when I pray, I actually picture in my mind those prayers winging their way to God's presence and nestling in incense that has a beautiful, overwhelming perfume. How awesome!
My sense of smell has always been strong and I am thankful my ability to smell was not adversely effected during my bout with CNS lymphoma. I love the aroma of fresh baked bread or bacon frying or soup simmering or pot roast cooking. The refreshing smell of fresh cut grass in the summer or the sweetness of spring rain or the gorgeous smell of lilacs and other flowering shrubs. And of course, I love the refreshing smell of freshly laundered sheets dried in the sunshine or the fresh scent of a room newly cleaned or the refreshing feeling following my daily shower. Yes, smell is important and enjoyable.
Incense in the Old Testament tradition can be found in Exodus as it pertains to worship. Exodus 30:34-36 "And the Lord said to Moses: 'Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.'"
I have no idea what 'stacte, onycha and galbanum' are but the Israelites were told to use those spices, plus frankincense, to make the incense that would simmer in the Temple and would please God. I have burned candles in my home which burn with a sweet fragrance, so I can understand the pleasure of incense. So I now grasp the idea that my prayers are a pleasant aroma to the Lord God Almighty!
The verses in Revelation also tell me the prayers are collected in bowls of gold! Again, I am humbled to think my simple prayer lays in a priceless bowl made of glittering gold. That tells me my prayers are cherished by the great 'I AM', the all-powerful, omnipotent God!
Then when I realize all "the prayers of the saints" (by the way, saints means us, the believers) are lifted up, collected and immersed with incense, I finally get the message that prayer is lovely, aromatic, holy and cherished by God.
Prayer has become most meaningful to Dick and me as we know, without a doubt, that the prayers of hundreds of people throughout the world were lifted to the Lord and resulted in the Lord healing me from the "aggressive, lethal, rare cancer of the brain". We have personally experienced God's miraculous intervention because He heard the "prayers of the saints".
Now, when someone says, "Please pray for me" or when I receive an email requesting prayer, I stop what I'm doing and pray with confidence, picturing my prayer rising to the throne of Heaven, settling into the bowl of priceless gold, mixing with sweet smelling herbs of incense, then entering into the very presence of the Holy of Holies, my loving God!
Praise the Lord! My prayer life has changed and I am changed because the Bible has shown me a deepening awareness of my awesome God.
"Don't worry about anything; pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." Philippians 4:6
