Journey of Prayer: Day 26

February

8 at 3:00 AM ·

Journey of Prayer Day 26 Monday, February 8, 2021

O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call You! May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. Psalm 141:1-2

I am a bit of a smell snob. I love a good candle or diffuser and am always on the hunt for a great one. Not only can these fragrances appeal to my nose but they have the power to transport me to a memory that I love. For instance, I have a candle from the hotel my husband and I stayed in the first night we were married. I loved the smell in the hotel so much that I keep ordering those candles. When I burn one of these and that smell begins to permeate the room, I can actually “see” those 24 hours in the most vivid way. This is simply a delightful memory that can uplift my spirit in an instant. It’s pleasing and can bring a smile to my face even on the most gloomy day.

Have you ever thought about what fragrance you are to Jesus? Do you emit the scent of the hotel candle or are you the odor of a dump truck? Oh goodness; I imagine I can smell so many different ways depending on where my head and heart are. I read an article recently that stated a person who actions are not right but who trusts in the Lord is more pleasing to God that the person who is doing the right things but has no faith in God. No, I don't think this statement proposes we all do whatever we want regardless of what the right thing is. The point is the Lord wants our heart and it’s focus to be on Him.

Where is your heart pointed? Where your heart is, there follows your attitude, words, and actions. If your heart leads you to the “stinky” place, how do you escape, reset, or realign yourself with Jesus? On Friday, Amy talked about confession and repentance. I encourage you to read that post and listen to the sermon if you haven't already. That’s a very good place to begin. Pour your heart out to Him. No matter how much you may kick, scream, and plead, a conversation with the Lord can be the beginning of a huge about face for your heart and attitude. I like to think that He delights to hear from me infinitely more than I delight to hear the sweet sound of my adorable grandsons’ voices on the phone. To me this is an amazing comparison because words fail me when I try and express how much a few words from those guys can mean to me on any given day or time. Whether it’s a conversation with the Lord or one with my grandsons, it’s less about what words are spoken and more about the reaching out and desire of the heart for true connection and relationship. That is the incense the Bible is referring to.

Ladies, scripture tells us we are saved by grace, not our actions. As believers we obey Him because the Gospel of God's grace is true. Do not fear when you do the wrong thing and let Satan take you down that path of shame and all that follows. He KNOWS you and your human-ness. You actions will fail from time to time, but your heart is what He wants to capture. When we align our heart with His the rest will follow. Start by asking Him for help- you can’t do it on your own and your simple prayer is a sweet smell to Him.

Today, I think my take away is looking at my candle with fresh eyes. Not only does it remind me of special memories but now I am thinking about the scent of my heart. Does something need to be addressed? Does Jesus detect the odor of a sweaty gym sock or a delicious perfume? Or maybe it’s been a while since I even tried to have a conversation with Him ?

What about you? Are confession and repentance in order here? Do you need to just reach out and make that connection today? Are you in a place of wrestling something out and need to take your stink to the Lord? Let’s spend some time today pondering where we are and what needs to be done. If the Lord leads, please share something below. You never know how much one of your comments can mean to someone reading. We glean from one another and possibly today is the day your words can be that sweet incense someone else needs.

For further reading: Exodus 30:6-8; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3

Dear One who is Pleased, Please forgive us when our attitudes and words are smelly. Help us to recognize quickly when we need to pivot and get our hearts and minds focused on You. Give us boldness to come to You just as we are and know You are a safe place to unload the dump truck. Give us intimacy with You Father, like never before. Please turn our stink into a fragrance full of holy prayer and praise and allow this sweet smell to linger in the air so others will be reminded to do the same. Amen