My Prayer

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Category: General | Apr 1989

With hands uplifted, David gives the impression of watching his prayer ascend to the heavenly throne. He yearns for it to be as the visible aromatic smoke of the incense which arose to God from the holy place. "Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee", he cries; "the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice" (Ps. 141:2). What a wonderful way to view prayer! Not as a mere necessity the convenient use of words, but a precious, fragrant ascending to God of our thoughts which frame our thanks, anxieties, cries, pleadings, requests, in the valued Name and Person of our Lord Jesus. "Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints", writes John (Rev. 5:8).

Elijah, a prophet of prayer, had emerged victoriously from a momentous battle with the prophets of Baal (1 Kin. 18:21-40), and returned to the place of victory at Mount Carmel. There he is found bowed in prayer, his face between his knees. Without being too imaginative, perhaps we see again, if only

figuratively, an ascending vapour of incense which is replaced by a cloud the size of a man's hand. This was God's answer to the prayer of Elijah an abundance of rain, the showers of blessing after prolonged drought. "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly" says James (Jas. 5:17 NIV).

There are five precious ingredients to the incense used in God's house (Ex. 30:34-38), stacte, honycha, galbanum, frankincense and salt, and each can speak of Christ. All five ingredients were blended to produce an aroma well pleasing to God. It spoke to Him of Christ, of whom He once said: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Mat. 3:17). Five also speaks of man's need so adequately met in Christ.

Our prayer life can be enriched when we give time to meditate first on Christ - His nobility, virtues, sufferings, and exaltation to the heavenly throne, where He waits for us to come with our prayers, praise and worship.

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C., Canada | Apr 1989
General