Strange Fire

For some time the Lord has been impressing upon me to understand the "strange fire" from Leviticus 10:1-2. Feeling for sometime that it concerned intercessory prayer since it involved the incense burners. I feel as though I have received some insight and submit it to those with ears to hear what the Spirit is saying.

I believe strange fire is prayer uttered to God from our intellect and not from the spirit. As Jesus said, I see what the Father is doing and that is what I do. For some time we have been taught to pray the scriptures as God's word is a perfect prayer, but even as we use the word from our intellectual point of view, trying to find just the right scripture for a particular situation, it can be strange fire because it is only as we see His heart or know His intent in a situation that we can offer to God in prayer that which is a sweet incense to Him. Thus, if God is wanting to bring judgment and we are praying mercy even quoting His word, we can be offering strange fire. There are times when God has been persuaded to change His mind as when Moses interceded for the Israelites and God turned back His anger, and it was good.

But there are many instances where God has been persuaded to change things because of prayer and it was to the detriment of those praying because it was not God's perfect plan. For instance the children of Israel praying for meat brought death and destruction.

Hezekiah was told put your house in order this sickness is unto death. When Hezekiah asked the Lord to spare his life then God gave Hezekiah 15 more years. It was during this time that he bore a son, Manasseh who was one of the most wicked kings Israel ever had and ultimately led to their captivity in Babylon. This son turned the whole country back to Idolatry, sacrificed his own children and killed the prophet Isaiah.

In human love and mercy we can even hold back God's progress in individuals lives because of praying amiss (like the 'I will rescue them' complex), when God is wanting to deal in a particular area in that person's life. God's Mercy can sometimes look harsh as it can let our rebellion go all the way to the 'prodigal son pigpen', but even His dealings come from His heart of mercy and love for us.

We know God wants to heal and bring prosperity to His people, yet many times in an individual's life, I believe we interfere with God's best plan by praying from our intellect or assuming we know what is right from His word, and have missed the heart of God in that persons situation and the timing God has for what they are experiencing. We step over into the realm of putting our will and desire before God's and that is not a sweet smell unto the Lord, but strange fire.