Worship Devotional - "Prayer as Incense"

Key Scripture: "Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." - Psalm 141:2

Reflection In the Old Testament, the High Priest would burn incense before God's presence in the inner sanctuary while the people offered up prayers outside in the temple courts. The incense was always associated with the prayers of the people when sacrificial worship was offered. As the incense wafted toward heaven, it represented the prayers ascending to God. He would not accept the prayers unless they were accompanied with incense.

When David couldn't attend the actual tabernacle to worship, he still prayed, making reference to his prayers as incense. He knew that his prayers had to ascend, or they wouldn't be answered. David's prayers were likened to the incense offered by the High Priest before God's presence in the temple.