“Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.”

Exodus 30:7 (NLT)

Many people throughout the world pray. Some are religious; others are non-religious. Perhaps this is because God has placed eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We reach out beyond ourselves to One who is greater than us. But not all prayers are heard in heaven.

“Listen! The LORD’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

Isaiah 59:1–2 (NLT)

Man’s basic problem is that he is separated from God by sin. That is why when a person came to the tabernacle to worship God, they first encountered the altar of burnt offering where sacrifices were made to atone for sin. As we have previously mentioned, this pointed to the cross.

Now inside the tabernacle before the veil was the altar of incense. Aaron would burn sweet incense on it every morning and evening. The beautiful fragrance rising upward pictured the prayers of the people rising before God. But these prayers were not acceptable unless atonement had first been made. This fact was emphasized when once a year, on the Day of Atonement, Aaron put the blood of the sin offering on the horns of the altar of incense. The blood opened the way for the prayers to be heard.

Today we must approach God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Without this atonement, our sins separate us from God, and He does not hear our prayers. So many prayers are prayed in vain because people are not approaching God in the name of Jesus and trusting in His atonement for their sins.

Would you like God to answer your prayers? First confess any known sin and ask God to forgive and cleanse you through the blood of Jesus. Then pour out your heart to your Abba Father with childlike faith and humble submission to His will. Picture your prayers rising before the throne of grace as a sweet-smelling aroma to God. He delights in the prayer of the upright (Proverbs 15:8).

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