I don't know about you, but I'm always up for a lovely scent in my home. I am a scented candle burner. I am a potpourri displayer. I enjoy generating warm, inviting, relaxing and soothing scents in my home.
Did you know evidently sweet scents are created in the heavenly realms? Revelation speaks of angels and heavenly beings holding incense and praising God.
I was amazed at what generates the smell of the incense that is burned. Perhaps you will be somewhat surprised as well. Since I have learned of this, I have been challenged to make sure I contribute more often.
Revelation 5;8 (NLT) "They held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people."
Revelation 8:3-4 (NLT) "And a great amount of incense was given to him to mix with the prayers of God’s people as an offering on the gold altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended up to God from the altar where the angel had poured them out."
Revelation 8: 3-4 (Message)"He (angel) was given a great quantity of incense so that he could offer up the prayers of all the holy people of God on the Golden Altar before the Throne. Smoke billowed up from the incense-laced prayers of the holy ones, rose before God from the hand of the Angel."
Now one might want to argue and say that since this is in Revelation, it is not happening at this time. Regardless of whether it is occurring now... or will happen in the future... the prayers of God's people will be incense-laced and filling bowls on the altar before the throne. Regardless of timing, I want to be sure I'm a part of it!
How much am I contributing to the aroma in the heavenly realms? Do I offer only a few prayers that leave just a moment of a smell with more to be desired? Or am I one of the long lasting and burning candles that will provide scents for hours?
I want to have a part in the "Scent of Heaven".
Monday, March 26, 2007
Scent of Heaven
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12 thoughts shared:
I am always astounded that not only does God hear my prayers, but that they go into His throne room. I know that one means the other, but it is amazing to me.
When I think about my prayers in light of your post I have two questions:
1. Are my prayers a pleasing scent?
2. Are there enough of them to actually cause the scent to be noticeable?
It seems like lately my prayer come from a place of quiet, acute need, and I wonder how pleasing that actually is...
I want to be a part of the scent of heaven. I know my prayer life is something that i need to work on, and i am. I ever really read Revelations so i never heard of this scent of heaven.
A little story for you that makes this make a lot of sense to me:
When I was younger, I smelled this beautiful fragrant every now and again. This particular smell always brought back memories of my Great Grandmother. It always made me feel comforted. I believe it was her watching over me. It was a very powerful thing in my life, and this helped me discover a deeper relationship with Jesus.
I don't smell that beautiful fragrant anymore, but my walk with God is so much deeper than it was.
Thanks for sharing the scent of heaven with me.
How cool, I never realized that was in Revelations. When I get money I want to get some candles and some other good smelling things...
I haven't thought of this in a long time. What a wonderful encouragement to think our prayers are a scent like inscence to God.
I loved this idea. The scent of Heaven is not something I had thought about, but of course, God made us with a sense of smell, and all those beautiful aromas around us, so Heaven will be paradise in more ways than one! Thanks for this.
This is so timely. We just studied Prayers as Incense in our Bble Study last week. He began the lesson by pointing out how the incense burned by the priests in the tabernacle was an illustration of our prayers offered up to God as a sweet fragrance.
I'm so glad you wrote this. I want my prayers to be a part of the fragrant incense that perfumes the courts of heaven too.
This post smells wonderful. :-)
You are obviously reading Revelation. My personal favorite, regarding the scents of heaven, is Matthew 2:11.
I, too, burn lovely scented candles throughout my home, year round and I have no doubt you are contributing to the scents of heaven. It shows all throughout everything you post.
What a rich post.How awesome to think of heaven as a reality. Sometimes I need a reminder.
boy you got me there... I'm thinking my house aroma is vanilla and dirty diapers lol... thanks for the great reminder!
Your posts are always so thought provoking. I always desired for my house to emit the aroma of Christ and I hope my prayers are an offering to Him. I imagine prayers of worship to the Lord are the ones that produce the sweetest aromas.
"Let my prayers rise like incense..." Beautiful image and scripture references.
What a great post!
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