Your Life Carries an Aroma. It Is Not the Perfume

Sermon outline

A woman who walks closely with Jesus carries His fragrance into every room, and prayer is the aroma that rises to God, so train yourself in prayer in the right order: thanksgiving, repentance, adoration, intercession, then your needs.

1. A woman who reflects Christ carries an aroma

   God uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of Him everywhere. You carry the fragrance of what you have been close to, so when we walk closely with Jesus, His love, peace, joy and grace cling to us. Your life can spread the aroma of His presence without a word.

   Illustration: Sit by a fire and you smell of smoke; hug someone wearing a strong perfume and it lingers on your clothes.

   “It's not about the perfume that you wear, it's about the presence that you have.”

   • 2 Corinthians 2:14

2. Fragrant women in Scripture

   Mary of Bethany poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet and the house was filled with the fragrance. She gave her best, and our worship, surrender and service must likewise be costly and intentional. The woman of Proverbs speaks with wisdom, is clothed with strength and dignity, and is called blessed by her children and husband: her life gives off godliness, diligence, kindness and honour.

   “It must cost you something.”

   • John 12:3
   • Proverbs 31:25-28

3. How to keep the aroma fresh

   Fragrances fade unless refreshed. Stay in God's presence in prayer and the Word; guard your spirit, because bitterness, gossip and unforgiveness pollute the fragrance; stay filled with the Holy Spirit, the oil that keeps the lamp burning; and serve with love, because every quiet sacrifice becomes incense before God.

   Illustration: On a trip to Turkey, the cheap replica perfumes sold on the street fade quickly or start to smell different, while an authentic perfume can still be smelt on clothes after they are washed.

   “When we put on the authentic fragrance of God, it stays on.”

   • Ephesians 5:2

4. You are God's perfume in this world

   As ambassadors of Christ our lives do not go unnoticed. To our children we smell of safety and prayer, to husbands, friends and family of encouragement and faith, and to co-workers and community of Christ's patience, integrity and kindness. Even in suffering, a godly woman releases the aroma of hope. You do not have to strive to be noticed; stay close to Jesus and you will shift the atmosphere of a room by your spirit, not your status.

   “The closer you are to him, the more your life will smell like His.”

5. The aroma of prayer: what pleases God and what He rejects

   She titles the teaching 'Train Yourself in Prayer' and is honest that for years she battled to build a prayer life and did not know how to pray. Prayers rise like incense and are kept in golden bowls, and the Old Testament incense burned morning and evening, a picture of continual prayer. A sweet aroma needs sincerity, faith, holiness and worship. God rejects empty words without obedience, prayers made for show, and ritual without relationship.

   Illustration: Visiting her grandmother, she could smell what was cooking before she saw her, and the smell connected her to someone special.

   “Prayer is both a sweet aroma to God and a discipline that we need to develop through consistent practice.”

   • Psalm 141:2
   • Revelation 5:8
   • 1 Thessalonians 5:17
   • Psalm 51:6
   • Hebrews 11:6
   • Exodus 30:34-38
   • Isaiah 1:15
   • Matthew 6:5

6. T: Thanksgiving

   Enter His presence with gratitude, which shifts your focus from what is missing to the One who is present. Before you ask for anything, thank Him for everything. Thanksgiving is the base note of the perfume that anchors the scent and makes the prayer last. She reads the morning thanksgiving she wrote in her prayer book years ago.

   Illustration: When a child runs to a parent to say thank you, the parent's heart warms and opens to listen. Gratitude works the same way with our heavenly Father.

   “Before you ask for anything, pause to thank him for everything.”

   • Philippians 4:6
   • Psalm 100:4

7. R: Repentance

   Sin blocks the flow of prayer like debris in a pipe, and if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear. Repentance is not punishment but God's gift to restore intimacy and clear the channel, confessing sins known and unknown and releasing unforgiveness.

   Illustration: A coffee mug left on the desk from Friday to Monday spoils the fresh cup unless it is washed. Repentance is God's way of washing the cup, like opening the window in a room of stale air.

   “Repentance is not punishment. It's God's gift to restore our relationship.”

   • Psalm 66:18

8. A: Adoration and affirmation

   Give God glory. Adoration declares who He is, His power, goodness, mercy and faithfulness, and turns your attention from the size of the problem to the greatness of God. This is the place to pray through His names: Yahweh, El Shaddai, Adonai, Elohim, Jehovah Jireh, Rapha, Nissi, Shalom, Rohi, El Elyon, Abba, Emmanuel, El Roi, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah.

   Illustration: Adoration is like honey in tea, or walking into a room of fresh flowers and breathing deeply.

   “Worship focuses more on God's greatness than our problem.”

   • Psalm 29:2

9. I: Intercession

   God sought a man to stand in the gap. Intercession is praying for others: family, friends, leaders, pastors, the lost and the nations. When the church prayed continually for Peter in prison, the angel set him free. Intercession multiplies the aroma so it reaches people you may never meet.

   Illustration: Pure sandalwood oil, bought in Turkey, fills the whole house when opened and lingers in every corner.

   “Their intercession changed the atmosphere from captivity to deliverance.”

   • Ezekiel 22:30
   • Acts 12

10. N: Needs

    Only now, with the heart aligned to God's priorities, bring your personal requests, and be descriptive and precise, because He is a loving Father who cares about every detail. The order matters, like a well balanced perfume where nothing overpowers, or a cook who knows when to add each ingredient.

    “Asking in alignment with God's heart will ensure that what we seek is both for his glory and for our good.”

    • Matthew 7:7

In this message