“Let my prayer be set before You as incense,

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

Hey Girls!

Have you ever wondered what happens to your prayers after you pray them? Did you know your prayers are stored in heaven in golden bowls? Your prayers aren’t tossed aside, thrown away, or forgotten. They are important to God. Take a look at Rev. 5:8 and you’ll see! The heavenly scene John is describing in Revelation chapter 5 is his vision of the heavenly throne room. He sees a sealed scroll in God’s hand, and the Lamb of God, which is Jesus. He is the only one worthy to open the scroll. He saw the Lamb of God, taking the scroll into His hand then, “the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, (is this where we get harps in heaven?), and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people”. Incense symbolizes the prayers that we offer up to God. It’s a sweet-smelling aroma and offering to God.

In the Old Testament, incense was offered up daily by the priests in the Tabernacle, the Temple, and also just outside the Most Holy Place where God dwelt. Incense was a wonderful fragrance that was pleasing to the Lord and it was offered continuously. When the priest burned incense at the altar, you can be sure that his family and friends knew it, for he carried the fragrance of incense with him wherever he went. I know from first-hand experience about incense. I worked in an incense factory back in my high school days. It was so much fun working with all the different scents. The aroma from the incense was so strong it seeped into my pores and was almost impossible to wash off.

God takes delight in our prayers. It’s as if when we pray, our prayers are collectively gathered together into golden bowls full of incense, and carried to the very throne of God in heaven. Our prayers rise up as a fragrance heaven bound. WOW! Not only that, if you and I are taking time daily to meet the Lord in prayer, others will know it, because our lives will smell of His fragrance. May our prayers be a sweet aroma to the Lord.

 God bless you - Karen