Let My Prayer Be Set Before You As Incense

The psalmist, David, cries out to God to hear him. A few interesting prayer request he makes to God which is not only for improving his character but to improve his relationship with God. He prays that God watch over his lips mouth, guard his heart from wicked and evil things, let himself be rebuked and disciplined by righteous people when he needs it.

Such is an honest prayer by a man after God's heart. His eyes are constantly focused on God, whom he takes refuge in. He asks God to nourish his soul. Finally, for a man with many enemies, he asks God to help him escape the traps of his enemies.


Psalm 141
Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness
A Psalm of David.

1 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.

2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

5 Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.
For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.

7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

8 But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
Do not leave my soul destitute.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.

Hide Me from the Secret Plots of the Wicked

David's prayer to God to protect him against his enemies. We know that David had many physical enemies, such as Saul and later the enemy nations which he had to fight against. But the enemy in this psalm uses secret plots, uses their tongue to lie and shoot in secret using words.
These enemies plot evil schemes rather than attack directly in battle. They "lay snares secretly" and "devise iniquities" and "shrewd schemes". So these particular enemies may be in David's court itself. In fact David did face a plot of rebellion from his son Absalom.
In any case, David's way to battle such enemies, like other enemies, is to bring it before God. He trusts that God will be just and will fight for those who are righteous and upright.

Psalm 64
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
 1 Hear my voice, O God, in my meditation;
         Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
 2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
         From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
 3 Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
         And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
 4 That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
         Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
        
 5 They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
         They talk of laying snares secretly;
         They say, “Who will see them?”
 6 They devise iniquities:
         “We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
         Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.
        
 7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
         Suddenly they shall be wounded.
 8 So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
         All who see them shall flee away.
 9 All men shall fear,
         And shall declare the work of God;
         For they shall wisely consider His doing.
        
 10 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him.
         And all the upright in heart shall glory.