A Pleasing Aroma

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeith much" James 5:16 KJV

God commanded the Israelites to be a pleasing aroma before Him. The Bibles tells us we are to present ourselves before God as a living sacrfices ( Romans 12:1 ). The sacrifices have changed, but God still likes the aroma. John tells us there is a bowl full of odors that are pleasing to God, which are the PRAYERS of the saints. ( Revelations 8:3).

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the PRAYERS of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the PRAYERS of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth, and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Revelations 8:3-5

Are you presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God with PRAYER? King David wrote, "Let my PRAYER be set forth before thee as incense" ( Psalm 141:2 ). We honor God when we PRAY. Imagine God on His throne, seeing a tiny wisp of smike from someone PRAYING - maybe a small child, or perhaps someone just beginning his PRAYER life. Imagine a Christian who is mature in faith with a big plume of smoke, like an old factory. Our PRAYERS rise before God as a pleasing aroma. Let's be a giant smokestacks of praise.

The continual offering of praise requires stamina; we ought to praise God even when we do not feel like it. Praising Him takes away the blues and restores us to normal. - Harold Lindsell

Dear Lord,
Help me to pray, laying my burdens before You, knowing You answer.
In Jesus's name.
Amen
- Jean McCoy, Fayetteville, Tennessee

A censer filled with live coals was used in temple worship. Incense was poured on the coals, and the sweet-smelling smoke drifted upwards, symbolizing believers' prayers ascending to God.