Psalm 141 Mar. 19 A Psalm by David.  1Yahweh, I have called on You. Come to me quickly! Listen to my voice when I call to You. 2Let my prayer be set before You like incense; the lifting up of my hands like the evening sacrifice. 3Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth, keep the door of my lips. 4Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity; don’t let me eat of their delicacies. 5Let the righteous strike me, it is a kindness; let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; don’t let my head refuse it.; and my prayer will be for them in their calamities. 6When their judges are thrown over the cliff, then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant. 7As when one ploughs and breaks up the earth, our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol; 8but my eyes are on You, Yahweh, the Lord. In You I take refuge; don’t leave my soul destitute. 9Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity. 10Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while I pass on by.   

Commentary

141:2 Prayer is likened to carefully prepared sacrifice, to painstakingly composed incense, beaten small, mixed in just the right proportions. The penalty for not making the incense properly was death. The lesson is that forethought will precede real prayer; it is an offering to God.