Smudging and burning smoke during prayer

Today, as I think of the Native American Indian tradition called ‘smudging’, where cedar, or sage, tobacco, or sweet grass is burned as incense, or an offering to our Creator, When invited to a First Nations worship ceremony, some worship leaders lit sage that was fanned with an eagles wing, and small bowls of cedar were burned, producing a sweet wonderful aroma, as prayer, worship and sacred dance was being performed. While watching, through the billows of aromatic smoke an elder spoke to me: ‘Hey white man, you like the service? Do you have a problem with the smoke? As usual, I had my Bible in its decorative leather case, so this elder immediately noticed  and remarked: ‘Well, you carry the book of God with you, why don’t you open it and read what it says about incense?’ Little did I know that I was about to get an education. So I typed in a Bible search on my computer that night to see how many verses mentioned incense in the Bible. to suddenly see a great similarity, between First Nations worship, and the worship prescribed by the God of the twelve tribes of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob given to the Hebrews, in the temple, before the ark of the tabernacle.

Here are some Scriptures, where God ordained the burning to incense to be offered up with prayer and worship: Exodus 30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. Exodus 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. Exodus 30:8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Luke 1:9 According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. Here we see prayer in heaven being received by our Creator, offered before Him by angels, with incense!

Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. Revelation 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.,

These verses speak of incense, being offered with prayer, as a sweet aroma before the throne of God. Yet, traditional white missionaries, in many cases, at best, misinterpreted this traditional tribal practice, seeing it as pagan, demonic, or at best merely traditional. Read this article from a Catholic brother, that I agree with: http://www.peace.mb.ca/00.Native/nlrnz06-sweetgrass.php I quote: “Holy Smoke – Fragrant smoke is one of these sacramentals. It has been used by peoples all over the world for thousands of years. Sweet grass, sage, cedar, etc. are forms of incense found in many First Nations cultures. It is used as a way of honouring the Creator, as a sign of prayer rising to God, and of the sweetness of prayer. It is a sign of humility (the humbleness of plants) and purity (the purifying effect of fire). Also for Christians, smoke is a reminder of the shining cloud that veils the glory of God.” Smoke Signals:

Yet, I believe the burning of sweetgrass, cedar, sage, as part of First Nations worship to be Biblical, spiritual, and one of the forms of worship God loves, as we read: Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; echoed again here in Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; Again, as I have said before. Jesus did not come to destroy language, culture, and sacred traditions of elders and tribes, rather to redeem it, purify it, and bring it back to our Father, Creator, the Great One from whom all life flows. May we learn to love one another, in purity of heart, and true holiness, seeking to honestly understand, in humility, the visitations of God in other cultures! Lets Pray: Father God, may our prayer arise like incense before your throne today and every day, made acceptable through JESUS precious blood. Hear us, as we seek to do your will and fulfill the purpose for which you created us, we ask, knowing we are heard and answered for we ask in the strong name of JESUS.   Note: For those of you who want to dig a little deeper into this topic, I ran it through ChatGPT to see what Ai had to say:

What are the benefits of smoke in native American ceremony?

ChatGPT said:

Smoke plays a deeply symbolic and practical role in many Native American ceremonies. While practices vary across tribes and traditions, the use of smoke—often from burning sacred herbs like sage, sweetgrass, cedar, or tobacco—is a common spiritual tool with several benefits:

1. Spiritual Cleansing and Purification

• Purpose: Smoke is believed to cleanse people, objects, and spaces of negative energy or spiritual impurities.

• How it’s used: Participants may pass through the smoke or have it waved over them with a feather or hand.

• Why: It prepares both the physical and spiritual self for ceremony, prayer, or important decisions.

2. Connection to the Creator and Spirit World

• Purpose: Smoke carries prayers to the Creator or Great Spirit.

• How it’s used: As the smoke rises, it is seen as a physical representation of prayers ascending to the heavens.

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• Why: It helps establish a sacred communication link with ancestors, spirits, or deities.

3. Healing

• Purpose: Smoke is used for physical, emotional, and spiritual healing.

• How it’s used: Healers may use smoke to “brush” away sickness or imbalance.

• Why: The herbs used are believed to have both medicinal and metaphysical properties.

4. Creating Sacred Space

• Purpose: The smoke defines ceremonial space, setting it apart from the ordinary.

• How it’s used: Smudging is often the first act in a ceremony to mark the area as holy or protected.

• Why: It helps participants enter a reverent, focused state of mind.

5. Offering and Gratitude

• Purpose: Burning tobacco or other herbs is a form of offering.

• How it’s used: Smoke is offered with intention—thanks, requests, or respect.

• Why: It acknowledges the presence and help of spirits, ancestors, or the natural world.

Common Herbs and Their Symbolism

• Sage: Purification, protection, clearing negativity.

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• Sweetgrass: Attracts positive energy and blessings.

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• Cedar: Protection, grounding, healing. please read: https://www.chrisaomministries.com/cedar-sacrifice-royalty-and-worship/

• Tobacco: Offering to spirits; carries prayers. I do not agree with this point, my prayer is made acceptable before God, ONLY through JESUS shed blood, not through smoke or any human effort.

Final Note

While many Indigenous cultures use smoke in ceremony, the meaning, methods, and herbs vary between nations and communities. These practices are sacred, and respectful participation or observation is important when invited.