Hello Family, I am given a list of those who attend prayer services each day, whether morning or evening. I see our list is growing. Your personal prayers are like flames or a lit fire on a candle.
The smoke that arises represents your prayers with incense being delivered to God’s throne. The incense has a scent. I hope your prayers have scent. In the OT, when an animal was sacrificed, the aroma or scent of the sacrifice was pleasing to the Lord.
Leviticus 3:16 NLT “and the priest will burn them on the altar. It is a special gift of food, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. All the fat belongs to the Lord.”
Your passion, struggles, thankfulness, endurance, patience, etc, are all pleasing aroma to the Lord. But your complaints and grumpiness can be a stench. What is the special gift of food to the Lord? When the organs of the animal were burned and sacrificed, those were considered a special gift of food to the Lord. The inside meant “all in,” and not just the surface, as represented by the meat or muscles.
When you pray as a living sacrifice, you are a pleasing aroma to the Lord. But if you pray without purpose (just because you are forced) and only at times when you are desperate, then you are a fake candle that looks lit without smoke.
Are we a flaming fire servant or a fake candle that only appears lit?
If you struggle to pray at home, you need to go to the Temple and pray.
Senior Pastor Steve Kim