Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

How can we make our prayers like "incense" as in Psalm 141:2?

Psalm 141 is reckoned as a psalm of David. The writer seeks God's protection not only from the snares that his enemies had laid on his path (v.9) but also from the vagaries of a foul mouth that utters words in foolishness (v.3) and an evil heart the practices wicked works (v.4). In short, the psalmist is asking God to sanctify him and preserve him from evil in his journey of faith.

Psalm 141:1-2 says "Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." (NKJV). 

This is the opening section of the psalmist's prayer. He asks God to listen to his prayer. Every believer who appears before God in prayer with a clear conscience longs for God's attention. The mention of incense and the evening sacrifice is a simile, a poetic figure of speech that David employs in this context to illustrate the significance of a godly prayer in the presence of God. It is like a temple sacrifice where the incense is a sweet smelling aroma before the presence of God (Genesis 8:21; Leviticus 1:3; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Philippians 4:18). 

The writer prays that the lifting of his hands in prayer may be acceptable before God just as the evening sacrifice which was offered to God by the priest in the temple or tabernacle. 

This text of Scripture reminds us of the privilege of appearing before God's presence in prayer and in submission to God's divine discretion in handling our petitions. The writer is conscious of God's holiness as he appears before Him. God desires that we hallow His divine presence and sanctify His Name. We should approach Him by faith as His covenant people who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ. 

Psalm 141 also reminds us that God values our spiritual standing whenever we appear before His presence. The psalmist was concerned about his moral integrity and his speech even as he prayed for God's protection. Notice his plea in vv. 3-5. No believer is perfect in the sight of God and this is the reason that Jesus taught us under The Lord's Prayer to seek God's forgiveness for our trespasses and to seek His leading and deliverance from temptations of life (Matthew 6:9-15). 

We make our prayers like incense when we align our hearts and minds to the truths of God's word; when we choose to allow God's divine influence to shape our thoughts and convictions. This can only happen when our lives are totally yielded to God under unflinching faith.

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