Prayerfulness Be Like Incense Offering
BRD REFLECTIONS
Revelation 8 and Psalm 130 (NIV)
(James Tan, Chairperson, Companions in Christ, Discipleship & Nurture)
READ:
Revelation 8:4 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
In the previous chapters, six seals were already broken. And with each broken seal, we saw much chaos, death, and destruction. In Revelation 8, when the seventh seal was finally opened, “there was complete silence in heaven for about half an hour”.
Meanwhile, an angel offered incense and the prayers of all God’s people. In verse 4: “The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”
I am attracted to this verse. I find it amazing that amid so much action, suddenly there was complete silence and God took the time to savor the incense and prayer offering. This offering must have been so significant for there to be a deafening pause before more action ensues later in the chapter. It appears to me that my prayers are an offering to God and that I must not take it lightly. I note that prayer is likened to incense offering in other parts of the Bible like in Psalm 141:2 – “May my prayer be set before you like incense.”
APPLY:
If it is of such paramount importance, I would want to further improve my prayer life so that it will be pleasing to God. I want to move beyond cursory thanksgiving and request prayers when I would sometimes pray in my ‘Christianese’ language. In the Companions in Christ (CIC) course, there is a section on “Deepening our Prayer” where we spend 6 weeks learning the different aspects of praying. I have done that and indeed felt that my prayers went onto a deeper level. I now find that I should go beyond prayer to prayerfulness. Prayerfulness is a matter of the heart, mostly unspoken, that reveals itself in gentleness, peacefulness, humbleness, compassion and other fruit of the spirit.* A prayerful life, like incense, would make a holy and pleasing offering to God.
DO:
I will continue to spend time in daily devotions and contemplation where I have conversations with God. I would also need, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to think, speak and live in the presence of God. I need to present all my thoughts to God so that my unceasing thinking becomes an unceasing prayer.
PRAY:
Dear God,
It’s funny that I am praying to ask you to help me to lead a more prayerful life. I know that prayer is more than words. Help me to seek you with my heart and to present to you all my thoughts such that I can have constant conversation with you throughout the day. I pray that my life filled with prayerfulness, will be a holy and pleasing offering to you. Amen.
*Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen, Page 56
