How can we ensure our worship is as intentional as described in Leviticus 24:7? Setting the Scene: Leviticus 24:7 “ ‘And you are to put pure frankincense alongside each row, so that it may serve as a memorial portion for the bread, an offering made by fire to the LORD.’ ” What Intentional Worship Looked Like • Pure frankincense—nothing cheap or diluted, signaling wholehearted purity • Alongside each row—no loaf left without it; consistency and completeness mattered • A memorial portion—physical aroma rising as an enduring reminder before God • An offering by fire—investment, cost, and personal surrender at the altar Principles for Intentional Worship Today • Purity over performance – Psalm 24:3-4 “Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? … He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” • Consistency in every “row” of life – Colossians 3:17 “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” • Mindful remembrance – 1 Corinthians 11:24 “Do this in remembrance of Me.” • Costly devotion – 2 Samuel 24:24 “I will not offer … to the LORD my God that which costs me nothing.” • Aroma of prayer – Revelation 5:8 “Golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Practicing the Principles 1. Prepare before participating • Confess sin (1 John 1:9) • Quiet the heart and set aside distractions 2. Pair every act with prayerful dependence • Couple singing, serving, giving, or teaching with specific prayers of surrender 3. Keep the whole week on the table • Arrange your “rows” daily—schedule time for Scripture, fellowship, service, rest 4. Bring your best, not leftovers • Budget time and resources first for God, not after everything else is covered 5. Let remembrance drive gratitude • Regularly recount Christ’s sacrifice, allowing it to fuel joy and reverence Scriptures that Echo the Call for Intentional Worship • Romans 12:1 “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your reasonable service.” • Hebrews 13:15 “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name.” • Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be set before You like incense, the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice.” |
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