Prayer as Incense (Exodus 30:7–8)

And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps, he shall burn it. And when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it. A regular incense offering before the Lord, throughout your generations.
—Exodus 30:7–8

Oh, what a picture. Here in Exodus 30:7–8 is the altar of incense in the tabernacle. Aaron is instructed to burn fragrant incense every morning before the Lord. “And he shall burn it, a regular incense offering,” verse 8 says, “before the Lord, throughout your generations.” This is a picture of worship at every moment—a picture of going before God, worship from among God’s people rising to him in a way that is pleasing to him. Throughout the rest of the Bible, we often see prayer described as incense before the Lord.

In fact, when you get to the end of the Bible and see the culmination of the coming of God’s kingdom in a place like Revelation 8, it says, “Another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.”

Exodus 30:7–8 portrays our prayers as incense before God.

So the picture here in Exodus 30:7–8 is of the prayers of God’s people rising like incense before God. Now think about a command like the one we see in 1 Thessalonians to pray continually, all the time—when you rise in the morning and all day long. Picture it in our lives as the Church. I think about the church I am a part of, as we are praying all day long. I pray that there would just be incense rising from McLean Bible Church all day long before God through brothers and sisters praying continually.

From the moment the first person wakes up in the morning—or someone working a night shift prays while heading home—then as others wake up, different people are praying, just incense rising. And all day long, as we walk through all kinds of different circumstances, this is what we do as the body of Christ, as the people of God: we lift up prayers continually like incense before God.

Prayers of praise, prayers of confession, prayers of petition, prayers of intercession, prayers for guidance, prayers for help—just all kinds of prayers rising like incense before God. May that be true in our lives. May that be true in the Church. And in this, may we please you through worship. God, may our prayers, like incense, rise before you even right now.

Exodus 30:7–8 encourages us to be steadfast in prayer.

What a picture—even as I say this prayer out loud, and only you know how many people are listening at different times, not just listening but joining in, as we lift our hearts before you. May you be pleased, O God, with our prayers right now, with our praying right now. May you be pleased. May you multiply this prayer.

I am so thankful for this podcast, for the privilege of praying with so many different people, and for incense arising before you in this way. So we pray together. We pray continually throughout the day. May our prayers, like incense, rise before you and be glorifying to you. Hear our prayers—our prayers of praise, our prayers of confession when we sin, our prayers for help, our prayers of petition and intercession for others. God, hear our prayers. Hear our prayers today for the Ghisadi of India. Hear our prayers for them and answer. Help them to know your salvation.

A Prayer for the Ghisadi People

We pray for the Ghisadi of India and for 7,000 other unreached people groups around the world. For our friends who do not know you, God, we pray that you would use us to share the gospel with them today, to lead people to you. God, teach us to pray continually, all the time, all day long. May this be the picture of our lives. May this be the picture of our church—praying continually as we look forward to the day when this last cry for your kingdom to come rises before you like incense, the heavens break open, we hear the trumpet sound from on high, and Jesus returns.

We pray, O God, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May that prayer resound from our lips, our hearts, and our lives all day long. May you hear it. And may you answer. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, we pray.

O God, we pray that this picture of incense—this picture of prayers rising like incense before you—would mark our lives, our families, and our churches. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.