RECIPE FOR PRAYER

If you have ever baked something but left out a key ingredient, you know the importance of following the recipe. Did you know God has a recipe for prayer? The Old Testament Tabernacle Altar of Incense teaches much about prayer. There was a specific recipe for that incense. It included stacte (a teardrop-shaped type of myrrh), onycha (part of the mollusk shell), galbanum (a bitter-smelling resin), and pure frankincense (a white resin).

Likewise, God has a specific recipe for our prayers. He hears sincere prayers that often include tears and a prayer closet. (Just as the mollusk retreats into its shell, we need to unplug from distractions.) Have you been hurt, are you angry or suffering? Include that in your prayer. How much better to tell God than to complain to others or harbor resentment. The last ingredient is the necessity of a white garment (a sin-free life). God will not hear prayers from a heart that regards iniquity (Psalm 66:18).

When the priests burned incense on the altar in the Tabernacle, the sweet smell followed them the rest of the day. Even after changing their clothes and returning home, their families could smell the incense. When we have spent time in prayer (alone with God, fervent, honest, and sincere), the "sweet smell" will let our friends and families know that we have "been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13).

Whatever God made prominent in His Word, He intended to be conspicuous in our lives. He said much about prayer because He knows we have MUCH need of it.   --- Charles H. Spurgeon