Praying With Confidence

Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Hebrews 4:16

WE’RE TOLD IN TODAY’S VERSE that we can and should “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” But doesn’t that seem a little presumptuous on our part? After all, maybe we haven’t exactly been doing a bang-up job of living the Christian life lately. So who are we to come boldly to God’s throne? Wouldn’t a humbler approach be more appropriate? Shouldn’t we get our act together a little more before we come knocking on God’s door, shamelessly asking Him to bless us and provide what we need and want?

We may not consciously think any of this, but deep down inside, this is how we often operate.

Why don’t we come to God boldly in prayer? Because we don’t think we can. In some translations, there is actually a “therefore” at the beginning of Hebrews 4:16, and what precedes it is this passage: “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:14-15).

We can come boldly because we come in the name of our sinless, sympathizing High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. His merit is our merit. His record is our record. His privilege is our privilege, too. So come boldly. Come like a child. Come like God’s child. Because you are.

BOTTOM LINE

Prayer is our great privilege and opportunity. When we come boldly to God, we’re promised mercy and grace, not judgment. So pray like you mean it!

Moment of Strength: Matthew 7:7-12