 Golden Bowls of Incense
Prayer is the natural conversation that takes place in a loving relationship between believers and God. Conversation has value, in and of itself, in that it is both the fruit and the evidence of the relationship. Talking to God – the act itself – has value that is quite independent from the subject matter of the conversation. In those early months of language learning as a missionary, I would often ride the streetcars of Vienna and wonder what these strange people around me were talking about, one with another (quietly talking… it was Austria, after all!). Elderly women would greet one another with smiles and chat through their common commutes. I knew what Americans talked about – grandchildren, grocery prices, the weather – but I had no idea what these people from a culture so new to me chose to discuss. Years later, I sat in front of two women and smiled as I easily followed their conversation. And what was it about? – Grandchildren, grocery prices and the weather! So, why do friends all around the world make the same smalltalk? Because it’s the talking that’s important! Regardless of what is said, the talking says, “You’re my friend. I love you. I enjoy being with you.” David, king of Israel, was not shy about asking God for specific things. The Psalms show this clearly. They also clearly show that David just enjoyed talking with God – and he knew God liked it, too. O Lord, …May my prayer be set before you like incense;
May the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. -- Ps. 141:2
Neither incense nor the smoke of the evening sacrifice had lyrics. They were a pleasing aroma before the Lord. The meaning they carried was that the worshipper wished to please God. In Revelation 5:8, the four living creatures who worship the Lamb on the throne, come before him with harps and “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Your prayers and mine! And what does this sweet smelling offering say to the Lamb? “We love you. We enjoy being with you.” |
