May 10
The Mystery of Incense and Prayer (I)
As you stand in front of the Altar of Incense, the coals are glowing, smoke is rising, you have already found that sweet aroma in the air is unearthly, and you’re right. The balanced fragrance of what is not only entering your nasal passage but your lungs is far from a common whiff of perfume. This smoke is dense and it represents what your prayers to God mean to Him. As such it is the very way God receives your prayers, they are not only a sweet sound to His ear, they are a sweet fragrance as well.
THE PLEASURE
The pleasure you have in the profound sweetness entering your body is life changing. Isn’t it interesting that your prayers are received as a sweet smelling aroma to God. Think about that for a minute, God could have said make the spices of bitter aroma – but He did not. Prayer is a welcome aroma and He savors every molecule you utter to Him. This smoke was to arise new every day, God never tires of this fragrance, and you can never pray too much.
ADDITION OF the VAPOR OF PRAYER
Once again something is being added to you. Soon you will, with deep affection and gratitude, be offering this very fragrance back to God – only it will be mingled with a part of you. That makes it even more valuable to God. One of the ingredients that was mingled with the spices was salt and you are the salt of the Earth. I cover more on this later.
What is it that is entering you besides fragrance and sweetness of this smoke? To understand this you must know what comprises the smoke and what each mean. In these five elements lie the mystery of the Incense, and what will turn out to be the mystery of all true prayer. I’ll give you a hint of what to look for; all true prayer comes from God, it enters our spirit, and we breathe it back to Him. Understanding this, Paul wrote that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him (Romans 11:36). Such is the basic components of all true prayer.
SORROW OF PRAYERLESSNESS
That being understood, the worst thing that could happen to you is not to be able to pray. It means God has quit talking to you at the most basic level. Failing to pray is the first indication that less from God will be coming your way. When we pray God gives more, when we do not pray, even the little ability we have will be taken away. That is the Law of Response and it is a primary Spiritual Law. Spiritual Laws are unchanging regardless of culture, ethnos, economic strata, or age. It is impossible for man to change a Spiritual Law.
Blessings,
John Paul
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Blessings JP and ALL brethren
Keeping it Real
Keeping it Now
In the arms of the angels, may you find your comfort there.
Remember to wear the coat more.
And think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report; things of virtue, and full of praise.
Please, remember to pray for one another. Thank you
Why would God quit talking to us?
This picture of prayer is utterly beautiful: it articulates the core of our profound connection to Him, and the essence that beckons us back to Him again and again. Heart to heart and Spirit to spirit; the Breath and Heart of God. I am drunk!
I just found your web site today! Am so————- blessed I did. This is so refreshing !!!!!!The Lord has been calling to me about prayer and seeking more solitude with him.
Answering your question “What is it that is entering you besides fragrance and sweetness in the smoke.” I’m not sure but I do know ever since I gone after Him with communion I’ve felt something enter me probably about the second day I had started. And since then I have begun to see more in the spirit. In fact, one Sunday as I was worshiping I saw 3 circles spinning counter clockwise, as I aproached the first circle I felt real intoxicated as I approached the second circle the intoxication increased and again with the 3rd. It’s kind of funny but sometimes I spin my wine in the glass really fast as I’m taking communion and I noticed when I did that one time, it resembled one of the circles I saw spinning in church as I looked down into my glass. Almost as if God is showing me that His wine is the best.
I love what is written here about prayer, I’ve seen what you’re saying. I am with Susan however, in asking “Why would God quit talking to us?” I understanf that He will quit talking to me about a specific issue and change the subject. I also see him choosing a different way of speaking that challenges me to learn a new language, but he always speaks.
Perhaps I am missing something, I hope you write more about that.
Blessings! D
Hi All,
This is in response to Deborah and Susan, The Lord has been teaching me contemplative prayer or listening prayer.
My experience in the last year has been to learn and receive, hear, see, do. I have learned while being washed in the Word, and to then sit still and meditate on what was illuminated in my spirit. After meditating on the Word, I listen for his Voice, and a picture forms in my spirit, and then I just know what to do. Now that I know how to listen to him, I am again able to pray with much more of his heart for others.
I believe that the altar of incense symbolizes more than prayer, it is more accurately intercession. Our deeds are intercession besides prayers. The fragrance emitted, the saltiness, they are related to the attitudes of the heart and the deeds of the flesh. But its hard to find the fragrance and salt when the modern world cultivates 2 Tim 3:1-5 kind of people. Speaking about the fragrance and salt, is there anyone who can discern the modern world yet not be influenced in heart (where the fragrance originates), for I see modern man following 2 Tim 3:1-5 lifestyles because the world’s influence is great and subtle to the undiscerning; even the ‘upright’ church has traces of loving pleasure by all kinds of leisure, loving money by what is generally accepted as a normal lifestyle, tolerating little with all kinds of selfish justifications, headstrong is strength of character etc…. I too need to guard my lifestyle. Jesus interceded with His whole life. He was a different kind of man. The fragrance and salt reminds the Father of Jesus.
Dear JP,
My husband Richard and I are seeking the Lord today about his will. There has been so much revelation and signs and wonders combined with pieces of information given to me that my mind is getting blown away. But also the burden of it all, the girls I left behind in the prison knowing how much they are enduring hurts me. And the word given to me by the Lord that revival was going to break out in that prison and the confirmations that I am waiting on are causing all kinds of craziness, I was wondering if you know anything we don’t. I am reading about Israel and the christian church becoming one in the book, The Harvest, and Ch. 2 of Ephesians. We are looking at awesome events! But I need friends! My husband doesn’t even want me to spend a lot of time on this blog because of all the Old Testament stuff. None of my experience has come from a church or person. We are living in the basement of my stepdaughters house. What I’m trying to say is that we don’t go to a church or have friends supporting us. Of course having Jesus is enough. I am looking to you for guidance when maybe I should keep moving in the Person that I have been, Jesus the King. I am wondering about Waterbury, CT. Is there finally something happening there? We are still hiding in our cave and really wanting to come out. But its the Lord we have to cry out to and not any man. It has really been a long road. And a painful journey. We are very tired. and needy. Thanks for letting me vent here. The fellowship I have received through your blog has kept my hope alive. It is all I have had to communicate with in the outside world. Please pray for us to have more understanding. Thanks, JP. Our step-son turned off the computer at home so we have to walk to the library in town in order to even do this. I hope that I’m not complaining too much, just bewildered. Thanks, for listening. May All blessings be yours today in Jesus. Leslie
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son 20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake. (CJB)
Colossians 2:9 For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is. 10 And it is in union with him that you have been made full - he is the head of every rule and authority.
Let us cling to our Bridegroom as we continue this journey together..blessings
This is a song written and sung by Josh Young:
Stay – I Love to feel Your presence in this place
To hear the sounds of heaven here on earth – I wanna be where You are!
Stay – Let Your glory shine and fill this place
To see the lights of heaven here on earth – I wanna be where You are!
I believe that You are God today
Yes – I believe that You never change Your ways
You are DRAWING me – with Your Love
And You are DRAWING me and I can’t get enough – I can’t get enough
The beauty of Your holiness – the mystery of Your ways
Your hand of justice – and the glory of Your Name
It is amazing how the Spirit breathes upon certain prayer/worship songs. Just the other day, as I was driving down the road listening to this song, I began to weep uncontrollably to the point where I almost had to pull over to the side of the road. I had just returned from five days away at a Christian retreat center and this song had become the cry of my heart; Lord - “I wanna be where You are!”
For years I have enjoyed poetry/songs; the lyrics of a song are essentially poetry. A song – is a ‘work of art’ – an expression of God’s heart that came, ”from Him, through Him” and we get to sing it, “back to Him.” ‘Poiema,’ is a Greek word that the Apostle Paul used during his time in Ephesus. In the Bible it’s translated; “workmanship” but it’s also where we get the English word for ‘poem’ or ‘song.’
If you would like to download a FREE copy of THIS SONG, you can find it at: http://www.joshyoungonline.com
All of the songs on his CD – “Under Your Shadow” are also available for download at this web site.
Listen and enjoy!
The form of the world includes image consciousness, materialism, self-promoting, self-absorb and lust. But there is more than these. Jesus preached another kingdom. He was a pleasing fragrance. I just think many especially youngsters are unaware of their trespasses today so i am writing this.
What is Jesus like? If you are not able to describe him as you would any other person that you know personally, then question if you know him at all. It is impossible to love the Lord if you do not know him. As a person, after spending time with him, you start to really like him. Then, you like him alot. After spending more timewith him, like years and years, you like him so much that you Love him, and he loves you and you two have a special thing going on!
Once I cried during worship, it was uncontrollable because something hit me. With this experience, I knew that the moves of God were authentic, however the same moves of God are full of falsehood. The church behaves like animals ‘in the name of the Lord’ when a minister comes with an anointing. This is a move of God together with weird nonsense. People are screaming hysterically, laughing uncontrollably, shaking like dogs, jumping madly like electrocuted etc…it happened because the minister was reputed to have this kind of manifestation in his ministry, so people started behaving like mad patients; no wonder why some folks stay away from the moves of God. There is authenticity and lots of rubbish among the charismatic world. Where is the respect and reverence for the house of God?
John Paul, you say the worst thing that can happen to us is not to be able to pray. I agree somewhat on what you are trying to say in this statement however, when it comes to people who have disabilities like my son, who is autistic and non-verbal, I believe that the fact that he is alive is a prayer to God even though his circumstances regarding lack of speech doesn’t allow for that privilege right now.
For those who have the ability to verbalize prayer, there are many ways to pray. I can’t imagine how anyone would not want to stay connected to God our heavenly Father through prayer. And furthermore, I can’t imagine God casting us aside because of prayerlessness. Like I mentioned earlier, our very life is a prayer unto the Lord and what we do with it depends on us. I consider prayer in my life a life line to God. Without prayer, I would not know how to relate to other human beings. Without the prayer of breathing in and breathing out, His Presence, we perish, we cease to exist. Prayer cuts through the deception that is so prevalent in the world. Prayer connects us to the heart and love of Our Father. I depend on prayer to get me through each moment of my daily life, like we depend on oxygen, without it we cannot thrive in this life in a healthy manner.
Peace & Blessings
I love you Lord and I lift my voice to worship you. Oh my soul rejoice. Take joy my King in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in you ear.
To America the Beautiful: Land of the free, Home of the Brave:
Wake up Church:
Love those who are different
Break Loose from the bondage to the familar
Embrace diversity
Welcome the foreigner into your homes
Break loose from the retreat mentality
Saints: The Church is advancing
We are now on the attack!
Shake the religion off of you.
Take baby steps of faith.
Listen to your radio and hear the Lord’s Voice sing to you through secular music.
Dance, Sing, and Shout!
The King Cometh!
Cast off the cares of this world!
Praise him in ALL of his creation: True Worship acknowledges the Creator in everything!
The jewish harvest is ripe-
Like apples falling from a tree- Be there to catch them. Open your hearts to receive the jews back into the Vine. The Lord is bringing both seeds together to form one Vine.
Resist the enemy’s attack on your minds. Remember Jesus dwells with those with a contrite heart; the lowly.
Stand firm and see the Victory of the Lord on your behalf.
Spread these words, especially to your pastors. Move out from your confined, boring Sunday services-
Move out - to parks
to prisons
to the streets
Honor the heroes who gave their lives for this country:
Revolutionary War
Civil War
WWl
WWll
Korea
Vietnam
Desert Storm
Acknowledge and Honor your everyday heroes, the praying Mothers and Grandmothers! Give honor where honor is due.
America, America, God shed His Grace on Thee!
Thank you
Check out this music video: Take me in ( A Message to the Youth) by Kutless http://www.youtube.com/user/Shadowblix
I have been doing my homework and I think I know what one of the elements is, there on the Altar of Incense – It’s Spikenard.
The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 2:15, that “we are to God, the very fragrance of Christ.” This element is ‘sweet’ and ‘fragrant’ and symbolizes our worship ascending as a fragrance to God…?
“When we pray God gives more, when we do not pray, even the little ability we have will be taken away. That is the Law of Response and it is a primary Spiritual Law.”
On earth, the Father allows the sons to learn obedience by sufferings. The physical and spiritual DNA learns obedience, and it is to the extent that we are ‘justified’ in the Spirit, we will carry the weight of His glory and walked a life of doing capable deeds in the life hereafter and have a better resurrected physical body. What is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Jesus’ DNA learnt obedience, was tempted at all points yet without sin, learnt and overcame death through experience, this DNA is now given to us therefore we are able to become more than conquerors in this life’s journey in what is known as ‘putting on the new man’ who is neither Greek, nor Jew, male nor female but Christ is all and in all. To Him who was manifested in flesh, justified in Spirit, be all the glory forever and ever. We are baptized into Christ. Amen.
God forbid that any should boast except in the cross of Jesus Christ, this is what i want to emphasize, it is the cross of Jesus Christ. He lived, died, buried and rose from the dead and lives forever.
Just a little extra commentary on this ‘fragrance’
The historical context behind Paul writing this passage is at that time every Roman city had a big arena in it. What would happen was when the Roman armies would come back victorious from battle they would go straight into the Coliseum. What they would do is, they would send runners ahead of them – banner bearers – and they would take these sticks, and at the end of these sticks they would wrap these cloths around them that had been soaked in what was called the ‘Victory Spices.’ These spices were only to be used when the conquering army had returned from battle. They would wrap these cloths on the end of these sticks and light them on fire.
Before the army came into the city, these guys would be running through the city with these sticks, with the victory spices, and you could smell it all over the whole city. As soon as the people in the city smelled the ‘Victory Spices’ pandemonium would break out and everyone would storm into the coliseum and begin to celebrate the victory of the conquering army. In the procession there would be various ranks of soldiers and then at the very back would be the conquered. The prisoners - in chains.
So here it is again: “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. FOR WE ARE TO GOD, THE VERY FRAGRANCE OF CHRIST, among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.” (2Corinthians 2:14-16)
Everyone in the whole city could smell the ‘Victory Spices.’ The implications of this are huge! Our worship, prayer, declarations and intercession are a reminder to the enemy - that he is defeated! For those who are “being saved” it’s fragrant, and they are drawn into it. Even “those who are perishing” smell it and they realize that they don’t want to be the guys chained up in the back anymore – they want to be a part of the conquering army.
Having this knowledge of the historical setting of Paul’s writing of this passage gives impetus for us to declare God’s promises. And as this fragrance is released through our prayer, worship and intercession, people are drawn to Jesus and the Kingdom of God advances!
How do these fragrances relate to the what we smell when He manifests in fragrance: spicy, cinnamon, vanilla, rose?
There is nothing more important than spending time with our father , INTIMACY begins when we talk with him , oh send time with him . in the bathroom, in the work place, in the supermarket, at the bus- stop. In fact anywhere He IS ALL WE NEED
PRAYER is being with him and talking tohim
As a form of praise and worship, its a flow, the river of God and flows at will. As intercession, out of intimacy flow the deep things of God. As confession - coming with clean hands and a pure heart, its by grace. Our petitions - early in the morning I will rise up and seek thee. The full truth of incense is that Jesus lived a holy life on the earth, sinless and blameless, He bore our sins on the cross that we might become the righeousness of Christ. That is why we can boldly approach the throne. Christ is our mediator. Now that our relationship with the father is fully restored, when He looks at us, no longer does He see us a sinners, because its as if we had never sinned. We need to fully understand we are not sinners anymore, righteousness is not quanitative, you either are or you are not. All that was promised in the old testament regarding righteousness has been fullfilled when Christ died, its already been given and relationship has been restored. Lonnie
The scriptures say that Abraham and Rahab were justified by faith. The justification by faith speaks like this, if God ask me to do ABC and I do it, I am justified. You would see Abraham and Rahab did works out of faith apart from the Law. James 2. We worship God in spirit and in truth. We need to obey God in spirit (by faith in its works) and truth (the Law). We are justified by faith not the Law, faith would mean if I do the Father’s will I will enter the kingdom; whatever He says and I do it and it is done by faith in Him through Jesus. This is justification. You can even do good works yet not do the Father’s will on the earth and be called lawless. For sin is lawlessness and sin is anything apart from God’s word. The fact that you have believed in Jesus justifies you by faith but if you willfully disobey God in this life, there comes a point when there is no repentance and you will perish.
As I closed my eyes to pray this morning I scensed a lightness in my body. (Like smoke that is light and floats upward.) I often move my head to and frow and remember the eyes of God are always moving and watching us. Today I saw a figure of myself with arms stretched upward moving as though I was a flowing sweetly below the eyes of God.
As I read the Romans 11:36 I thought of our Lord at the Last Supper at his table his arms out stretched and he was transparent, (like smoke.)And I know God knows every part of me.
In my prayer today and many times I remind God I have nothing, I am nothing and can do nothing with out you. I give you back my life because you gave it to me including everyone and everything in it. Because you love me, and gave me all that is good in my life.
Romans 11:36 NKJ AMP
When I read it today it amde me think of some teachings I got as a child…… …Who made the world God? who made me?…God ..Why did God make me? SO I can live to bring God all the Glory.And when I die where will I go? To Heaven!
To answer the question..to me it is the Love of God that enters me……because he first loved me…..
Many blessings
Thank you John Paul
“Once again something is being added to you. Soon you will, with deep affection and gratitude, be offering this very fragrance back to God – only it will be mingled with a part of you. That makes it even more valuable to God.”
And that Inward and Spiritual Work of the HOLY Spirit? If it all goes up in smoke thhen what remains of that in ward ad spiritual work?
“What is it that is entering you besides fragrance and sweetness of this smoke?”
So?
I was blessed to be in Jerusalem in October ‘08. As I was standing at the Temple Mount, out messianic jewish minister guide whispered and said I will show you where it is rumored that the Holy of Holies stood.
For years the Lord Himself has trained me to be a flame carrier and intercessor in ministry to Him and others in the “secret place” as the high priest would have done. I was thrilled to get to walk over to the site and had my picture taken there…
At this spot–it did not look like anything special or spectacular that would draw attention to it as millions of people have passed by it over the centuries. My nose was “sniffing” that glorious residue from the precious anointing oil and incense that burned over the years….It was a glorious and humbling experience to stand there.
We are called to be kings and priests for the Lord. The Holy of Holies and all the ministry that was going on behind the veil in the temple was a “foreshadow” of what the Lord is calling us today to exhibit and show the world.
As we lay down our lives, allowing Him to crucify our flesh, and experience Him being “tabernacled” in us—the people around us can “sniff” His precious fragrance and aroma from the anointing oil we carry inside us.
We just need to keep the flame burning.
John Paul, I look forward to more of your articles on the anointing oil and prayer.
We heard this group last night at a Irish Pub fundraiser for my mother-in laws mission to Haiti in Boston, last night and they sang this song called when it rains. It thought it would be an eye opener for those of us who are discerning the times in which we live and the Christ Like attitude that we must maintain in order to be effective in our Christian witness. It’s a cute country like ole’ fashion New England Folk Style Genre!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7spzNHNdBE
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for making this resource available. I cann’t wait to get into the archives and read more of your articles. This is just what I have been searching for. Bless You!
I came to this site today.It clarifies the paths God has been leading me in - the dark night of the soul has finally culminated in rain - He is coming to me now as the rain.I’m sure the teachings will be a great blessing.Please continue.
I wondered what it meant I dreamed of smoke like a small pillar and dreamed that twice, I am still not sure what it means….I dream often, but this I couldn’t interpret, can you help,
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