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Ten Days of Prayer: Day 9 - The Censer

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them. (HEBREWS 7:25)

Ten Days of Prayer: Day 9 - The Censer

Bern, Switzerland.Revival & Reformation.

The censer and the incense are a symbol of Christ’s intercession for us.

As our Intercessor He executes His self-appointed work, holding before God the censer containing His own spotless merits and the prayers, confessions, and thanksgiving of His people. (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 156)

Christ, as our Mediator, at the right hand of the Father, ever keeps us in view, for it is as necessary that He should keep us by his intercessions as that He should redeem us with His blood. (Our High Calling, p. 50)

I am so thankful that we can trust in God. And the Lord is honored when we trust in Him, bringing to Him all our perplexities. . . . The Lord Jehovah did not deem the principles of salvation complete while invested only with His own love. By His own appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed in our nature. As our Intercessor, His office work is to introduce us to God as His sons and daughters. Christ intercedes in behalf of those who have received Him. To them He gives power, by virtue of His own merits, to become members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King. And the Father demonstrates His infinite love for Christ, who paid our ransom by His blood, by receiving and welcoming Christ’s friends as His friends. He is satisfied with the atonement made. He is glorified by the incarnation, the life, death, and mediation of His Son. . . .

What condescension! What a privilege is granted us! Christ is the connecting link between God and man. . . . As we approach God through the virtue of Christ’s merits, we are clothed with His priestly vestments. He places us close by His side, encircling us with His human arm, while with His divine arm He grasps the throne of the Infinite. He puts His merits as sweet incense in a censer in our hands in order to encourage our petitions. He promises to hear and answer our supplications. Yes; Christ has become the medium of prayer between man and God. He also has become the medium of blessing between God and man. He has combined divinity and humanity. (In Heavenly Places, p. 77)

And as Christ intercedes for us, the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing forth prayer and penitence, praise and thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from human lips is the result of the Spirit striking the chords of the soul, awakening holy music.

The prayer and praise and confession of God’s people ascend as sacrifices to the heavenly sanctuary. But they ascend not in spotless purity. Passing through the corrupt channels of humanity, they are so defiled that unless purified by the righteousness of the great High Priest, they are not acceptable by God. Christ gathers into the censer the prayers, the praise, and the sacrifices of his people, and with these he puts the merits of his spotless righteousness. Then, perfumed with the incense of Christ’s propitiation, our prayers, wholly and entirely acceptable, rise before God, and gracious answers are returned. (The Youth’s Instructor, April 16, 1903, par. 11, 12)

God’s appointments and grants in our behalf are without limit. The throne of grace is itself the highest attraction because occupied by One who permits us to call Him Father. But God did not deem the principle of salvation complete while invested only with His own love. By His appointment He has placed at His altar an Advocate clothed with our nature. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 363)

For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15, 16)

No sooner does the child of God approach the mercy seat than he becomes the client of the great Advocate. At his first utterance of penitence and appeal for pardon Christ espouses his case and makes it His own, presenting the supplication before the Father as His own request.

As Christ intercedes in our behalf, the Father lays open all the treasures of His grace for our appropriation, to be enjoyed and to be communicated to others. “Ask in My name,” Christ says; “I do not say that I will pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loveth you, because you have loved Me. Make use of My name. This will give your prayers efficiency, and the Father will give you the riches of His grace; wherefore, ‘ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.’” John16:24. (TestimoniesfortheChurch,vol.6,p.364)