Confidence to Approach God
Are you confident in bringing your requests to God?
Verse of the Day
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Today’s Devotional
This verse from Hebrews 4 comes right after yesterday’s verse. Since Jesus is our High Priest, who empathizes with our weaknesses and has been tempted in every way and yet prevailed on our behalf, we may now approach God confidently. The throne upon which God sits is a throne of grace, not a throne of condemnation. Isn’t that beautiful?
I think there is a key phrase in this verse, which is: “in our time of need”. When I am seeking discernment on a topic, decision, or situation, that qualifies as a time of need. Honestly, all moments that any of us humans are alive qualify as a time of need, we just don’t always recognize this truth.
Here’s what God has been teaching me lately. I always need him. But I don’t always realize that need. Sometimes I’m too busy to acknowledge God or my need for him. Sometimes I’m too confident in my own abilities. Sometimes I’m just focused on the difficulties of life. But when I am aware of my own limitations, which are many, while also being aware of God’s power and goodness and willingness, this changes my perspective. I can then come confidently before God to ask for help, because I am keenly aware of my need for his help.
But let’s be clear about something. I cannot come before God and confidently ask for things that do not align with His will for my life. If my prayer is that today will be easy, or that I will get a winning lottery ticket, or that I will eat a box of donuts and lose weight – I am likely to be disappointed. I can still bring those things to God in prayer, but I cannot confidently expect my desired outcome.
Here’s what I am confident in asking God for: the knowledge of his will for my day, the power to do those things that are within his will for my day, the ability to love him, the ability to love others, the awareness of my need for him and anything else that falls within those categories. I believe with my whole heart that those prayers are answered.
If I am sick and I pray for healing, the answer may be “no” because my healing may not be God’s will. When I am sick and I pray for God’s mercy and grace to handle my situation in a way that brings God glory, no matter whether I am healed or not, I believe that mercy and grace will be given freely.
Today, I am confident that I need God’s help. I am confident that I do not have what it takes without God. I am also incredibly confident that the more I am aware of my need for God, and the more I ask him for help, the more I feel him show up.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What do you have confidence in?
Where in your life do you need God’s mercy and grace today?
How would you describe your level of need for God today?
How can you confidently approach the throne of grace today?