"Lord I cry unto Thee; make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto Thee. Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:1-2
The supplication of solitary prayer is highly personal. It is not like the prayer of agreement; or, like intercessory prayer, where someone who empathizes with you, prays for you. Solitary prayer is your own personal plea to God for action on your behalf. No one can do it for you! It is confession of those deeply personal issues where truly only God can help you. It is not “…Now I lay me down to sleep…” It is more like, “Do I jump out of this window now, or drop to my knees and pray?”
Your friends can’t help you because they don’t care; and your family can’t help you because they don’t understand. It is the kind of problem where your spirit is so completely overwhelmed, --the pain so deeply etched and so far reaching, that only God can soothe it. The truth is, if you have never been there and you are a Christian—your time will come! It came for David, Joseph, Job, Esther, Mary—the list can go on. It came for Jesus—it will come for you. Your solitary prayer is the scent of your soul weeping its petition in the presence of God.
Revelation 8:3-4 says,
“…And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand…”
Our prayers are the sweet and savory scent of burning incense to God! Our petitions, pleas, supplications, begging, weeping, moaning, and thrashing, although oftentimes quite painful for us, are the thick sweet smoke of incense before the throne of God! The deeper the prayer, the stronger the scent! That’s why your words are irrelevant to God; your moaning and tears have their own pungent scent.
Beloved, know that God hears your supplications, and listens to your inner most needs. So, for a change, instead of waiting until all else fails, why not start with prayer first. L.
Study Reference: Psalm 141:1-2, Psalm 142, Revelation 8:3-4
From: "Solitary Prayer." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
The supplication of solitary prayer is highly personal. It is not like the prayer of agreement; or, like intercessory prayer, where someone who empathizes with you, prays for you. Solitary prayer is your own personal plea to God for action on your behalf. No one can do it for you! It is confession of those deeply personal issues where truly only God can help you. It is not “…Now I lay me down to sleep…” It is more like, “Do I jump out of this window now, or drop to my knees and pray?”
Your friends can’t help you because they don’t care; and your family can’t help you because they don’t understand. It is the kind of problem where your spirit is so completely overwhelmed, --the pain so deeply etched and so far reaching, that only God can soothe it. The truth is, if you have never been there and you are a Christian—your time will come! It came for David, Joseph, Job, Esther, Mary—the list can go on. It came for Jesus—it will come for you. Your solitary prayer is the scent of your soul weeping its petition in the presence of God.
Revelation 8:3-4 says,
“…And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand…”
Our prayers are the sweet and savory scent of burning incense to God! Our petitions, pleas, supplications, begging, weeping, moaning, and thrashing, although oftentimes quite painful for us, are the thick sweet smoke of incense before the throne of God! The deeper the prayer, the stronger the scent! That’s why your words are irrelevant to God; your moaning and tears have their own pungent scent.
Beloved, know that God hears your supplications, and listens to your inner most needs. So, for a change, instead of waiting until all else fails, why not start with prayer first. L.
Study Reference: Psalm 141:1-2, Psalm 142, Revelation 8:3-4
From: "Solitary Prayer." In The Master's Hands: 365 Daily Devotions For Everyday Living.
Copyright © 2014 by Lavona E. Campbell
photo: istock
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