Let my prayer be counted as incense before you...

A Psalm of David.
O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips!
Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds,
in company with men who work iniquity,
and let me not eat of their delicacies!
-Psalm 141:1-4

Combining the fragrant aroma of incense and the burning of it...is a biblical imagery that has been part of my prayerful contemplation lately. Moses was commanded to burning holy incense morning and night on the golden altar of incense (Exodus 30:34-38).

Jesus got ticked off over the lack of true prayer being at the center of His Father's house: "It is written," he said to them, "'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers.'' -Matthew 21:13

Becoming a "house of prayer" is deep in my heart of late...not the charismatic sorcery versions that build altars of incantation, fleshly endeavors to prove to God "we are serious"; thats a works based rig·a·ma·role. But instead a community of praying people that have assumed a posture of worship instead of works.

I have no interest in the "Slash & Bash" meetings where length and content become the rule instead of spirit and truth. God isn't moved by us...as much as we are moved by Him. Frenetic, all night, Charismatics and even "Change the World" by the sweat of our intercessions, Baptiscostals are attempting to put their own blood on the altar's four horns...instead of resting and believing in the Blood of the Son that has already sanctified the prayer altar.

Moses was forbidden to allow the sacred incense to become a "personal prayer item" anyone who was caught using it for themselves...was cut off from the community.

Prayer is first and foremost about Worship of God...not us.

All the hoops and ladders prayer material that continues to turn prayer into mystical lever pulling is a poor replacement for relational communication between Father and child.

It's all worthy of being whipped and driven out of the Father's House...it really is that serious.