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Psalm 141:2
Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
1A Psalm by David. LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to you.
2Let my prayer be set before you like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.
3Set a watch, LORD, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips.
4Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don’t let me eat of their delicacies.
Notice
Incense and lifted hands make prayer tangible, expressing David’s desire for his plea to be received before God as an offering.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
How does comparing prayer to incense shape the way you think about speaking to God?
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Where else Scripture says this
11 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
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Revelation 5:8Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full …David compares his prayer to incense; Revelation identifies the incense in golden bowls as the prayers of the saints.
Revelation 8:3–4Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints on …Both passages connect prayer with incense presented before God, with Revelation describing incense added to the saints’ prayers.
Psalm 55:17Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.Evening appears in both passages: as the sacrifice David compares his prayer to, and as a time to cry out.
1 Timothy 2:8I desire therefore that the men in every place pray, lifting up holy hands without anger and doubting.Both passages describe lifted hands in prayer, with Timothy adding that those hands should be holy, without anger and doubting.
Acts 10:4He, fastening his eyes on him and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a …David asks for prayer to be set before God; Cornelius hears that his prayers and gifts have gone up before God.
Malachi 1:11For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure …Both passages speak of incense and offerings directed to God, with Malachi declaring the greatness of God’s name among the nations.
Daniel 9:21yes, while I was speaking in prayer—the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of …David compares lifted hands to the evening sacrifice; Daniel describes speaking in prayer at the time of the evening offering.
Revelation 8:4The smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.Both passages connect prayer with incense before God, with Revelation describing the smoke rising with the saints’ prayers.
Proverbs 15:8The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.Both passages connect prayer and sacrifice with God’s acceptance, while Proverbs distinguishes the upright person’s prayer from the wicked person’s sacrifice.
Psalm 63:4So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.Both psalms describe hands lifted toward God, joining a bodily gesture with words of prayer or blessing.
Luke 1:9–10according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.Incense links the passages: David uses it as a comparison for prayer, while Luke describes its use in temple worship.
Where this verse fits
Wanting a steady prayer habit. praise and worship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
David asks God to receive his prayer as worship. His urgent need belongs in the same prayer as reverence for the God he addresses.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).