Q2. Incense

[Pastor Ralph]

Q2. (Acts 10:4) Why do you think your prayers and your obedient life are like incense that gives God pleasure? Do you think you can actually bring pleasure to God?

[Krissi]

Until I read this section, Pastor Ralph, it never occurred to me that anything I did or said pleased God because I thought God would find a flaw in my gift or that my motive was not entirely pure. But, if God enjoys the smell of barbeque and baking, as well as the smell of incense, then perhaps my little acts of obedience and my prayers, imperfect as they are, can satisfy Him.

Surely the Philippians could have given more, but what they gave was enough for Paul to claim their sacrifice was acceptable. Maybe God sees the little good in what we do, not the mixture of good and selfishness that more accurately characterizes our acts.

"I believe God made me for a purpose,
but he also made me _____!
And when I ____ I feel his pleasure."

Fill in the blanks. The best part is at the end -- "I FEEL HIS PLEASURE."

Lord, let us feel your pleasure. Please, let us feel your pleasure.

[Maleshoane]

I think my prayers and my obedient life are like an incense that gives God pleasure because He sees that I trust Him and desire for His will concerning my life. Yes because He takes pleasure in His people Psalm 149:4

[haar]

Q2. (Acts 10:4) Why do you think your prayers and your obedient life are like incense that gives God pleasure?

I represent God through my service in His vine yard and prayers for His creation. This pleases Hime.

Do you think you can actually bring pleasure to God?

Yes. So help Lord to bring you pleasure through my obedience and service to you.
 

[Katy]

Q2. It is hard to imagine that anything in the way of prayer and obedience can give God pleasure but these verses in our study show us that God does get pleasure from our prayers and acts of service for Him. I am reminded of the verse in Zephaniah 3v17( Isaiah 62v4) The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Not the same context but lovely thoughts. Yes I believe by doing the things God asks me to do I am being obedient but also I belief that brings pleasure to God.

[hanks]

Q2. (Acts 10:4) Why do you think your prayers and your obedient life are like incense that gives God pleasure? Do you think you can actually bring pleasure to God? 
I know that both my prayers and my obedient life are like incense that gives God pleasure. God’s Word tells me that the prayers of God’s people are like incense, and are pleasing to God (Rev 5:8). David used the smoke and smell of incense as a representation of his prayer to God (Psalm 141:2). Therefore, my prayers rise to heaven even as the smoke of incense rises upward, and these prayers please God even as incense has a pleasing fragrance. Jesus Christ died for me: “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all” (When I Survey The Wondrous Cross, Isaac Watts 1674-1748). As a believer I do not come to God with sacrifices of slain animals, but present my body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God (Rom 12:1). I now live a life in obedience to Him, and offer Him my service, my praise, and my possessions. The secret to pleasing God is faith, obedience, and service, which to God will be a sweet-smelling aroma. Therefore, I know I can actually bring pleasure to God. I can’t think of a higher approval one could enjoy than to know that what I’m doing is pleasing to God. We are to delight in honouring Him, and should have a passion to please God. But we are locked in combat with the world, the flesh, and Satan; resulting in our battle between what pleases us and what pleases God. 
 

[kreilly]

When I pray, I commune with God.  It is spending time in relationship with Him.  He created us to be in relationship with Him, for His good pleasure.  So I guess it makes sense that He receives pleasure from our prayers.  It is easy to see the reverse-we don't want to displease Him by ignoring Him and not praying to HIm. 

[Old Jerry]

I think that an obedient life give God pleasure because he knows that we are thinking about Him. I do think I can bring pleasure to God by obeying Him.

[Irmela]

Q2. (Acts 10:4)

Why do you think your prayers and your obedient life are like incense that gives God pleasure?

Do you think you can actually bring pleasure to God?

To be honest I cannot really imagine incense that has a pleasurable smell.  The ones that I have smelt have given me a headache and I have tried to get away from the area where they burnt, as quickly as possible.  I actually do have a good imagination and so it is difficult for me to get this picture of something like incense being pleasurable to God. Recently  I have been reading in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers where the Children of Israel were to bring the sacrifices to the Lord.  The mixture of the oil to be used etc has just made me realize that it was something specific, a special recipe  for the "oil" to be used, which was mixed to create a sweet smelling savour. It was to be used for nothing else.  That was well-pleasing to God.  It was not to be a counterfeit.  

The prayers also need to be specific and not counterfeit to be well pleasing to God.  Certainly not full of self (as with the Pharisee who lauded himself for what he did etc., refer to Jesus' parable in Luke 18:9-12).   Not something that is just babbled off.  

My God, I pray that my life may truly be a sweet smelling aroma to You.  May You have pleasure in me.