Here Kid, Just What You Always Wanted...

Frankincense...really?  You are going to give that to a child?  Here kid, have some perfume...Just what you've always wanted.
And Myrrh?  Seriously, you are going to give a kid a spice used to bury people.  That's real inspiring. 
Gold?  Now you really have to be kidding.  That kid is just going to use it as a building block.  He won't realize its any different than the wooden blocks laying around.  What kid really knows the value of a block of Gold? 

Even as a kid listening to the Christmas story being read in church, I remember thinking..."Really, those are some stupid gifts."  What 2 year old wants perfume?  Heck, what 2 year old knows what perfume is?  What kid really needs an embalming spice?  That's like going to a parent and handing them an orange prison jump suit.  "Well, your kid's going to be in prison one day, I just wanted to be the first to give him a gift!"  I mean really, you are going to give a gift that is representative of death?  Way to inspire hope in the parents!
And Gold...I'm sure the parents didn't mind this one, but still, such an odd gift for a 2 year old. 
But the gifts have a deeper meaning.  The next few days, we are going to look at each of the gifts individually and see what they have they mean for us today!

Today, we are going to start with Frankincense. 
Like gold and myrrh, Frankincense was a gift usually given to a King.  The Magi came to worship a King.  I wonder if they were surprised by the fact that the king they came to worship was only 2 years old.  I imagine it shocked them a bit, but they still left their gifts for the child. 

Frankincense was usually used as a perfume, but was also used as incense. 
As we hear in the traditional Christmas song, "Frankincense to offer have I, incense owns a deity nigh, prayer and praising, all men are raising, Worship Him God most high."
Frankincense in many traditions is a symbol of prayer.  We Three Kings refers to this prayer and praising as well. 

When I think about my prayers, I notice often times that I leave out the "praising" part of it.
Oh I'm really good at the asking part of prayer.  The selfish side of "God fix this" or "God I need this or that."  I'm really good at focusing on my needs and wants in my prayers, but I often forget the praising and worship part of prayer. 

The Magi came to worship and praise.  No where in the story do we hear them making petitions to the Christ child.  In Matthew 2 we are told that they "bowed down and worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts." 
They simply worshiped the Christ child.

This Christmas season, what are your prayers centered around? 
Are you asking God that you receive a certain Christmas present? 
Are you asking God for healing?
Are you asking God for guidance?
Are you asking God for comfort?

None of these things are bad prayers.  These are things God wants us to bring to Him, BUT...Prayer is also about praising!  How much of your prayer time is simply spent praising God for who God is?  How much of your prayer time is spent counting your blessings?  How much of your prayer time is really spent on God and in worship?

If you are anything like me, you'd probably say very little time is spent in worship of God.  It all seems to be me focused. 
One thing I've learned in life is the more time I spend focusing on myself, I become more unhappy, rather than happier. 
When I spend time focusing on others and focusing on God, I am usually at my happiest. 

I encourage you the next nine days before Christmas...in your prayer time, spend very little time focusing on yourself.  Spend the majority of your prayer time counting your blessings and thanking God for gifting those to you.   I think you'll be surprised at how different and fulfilling your prayer time will become!