Coming Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Prayer is intimacy with God that leads to the fulfillment of His purposes.
How would you describe your prayer life? Routine? Wish list? Ritual or relationship? We have a wonderful promise in Hebrews 4:14-16:
| “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” |
Every day I need mercy and grace. Prayer is designed to get me to the throne of grace so that I can have a transaction with the Father, a life-changing experience with Jesus. So, how do I get to the throne of grace? A truth I am learning – Boldness at the throne of grace begins with humility at the throne of my heart. Review with me some of the verses that point to this truth:
2 Chronicles 7:14 “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
Job 42:5-6 “I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You. Therefore I take back [my words] and repent in dust and ashes.”
Psalm 51:16-17 “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise.”
Psalm 149:4 “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.”
Isaiah 57:15 “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”
James 4:6, 10 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. …Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
1 Peter 5:5 "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."
Jesus tells of two approaches in Luke 18:9-14. As soon as he introduces the parable in verse 9 we almost always assume that description is someone other than ourselves – thereby becoming the people Jesus is addressing. I often don’t see the target is on me, thinking, ‘I hope she’s listening’ instead of asking, ‘Does this fit me?’ – immediately confirming my guilt of pride and arrogance.
Count how many times the Pharisee uses the first-person pronoun “I.” The next time you pray, consider how many times you use the first-person pronoun.
Take a moment to hear the prayer of the tax collector, read it slowly, and Jesus’ assessment of his prayer.
“And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:13-14
Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Matthew 6:5-6 captures the spirit of humble praying:
“And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” (MSG)
The Pharisee saw himself on the stage performing for God’s applause; the tax collector saw himself by grace in a seat watching God’s glory on display. It makes all the difference in how we pray. Kyle Idleman writes “There is no substitute for humbling yourself before God.” (The End of Me, p. 82).
Don’t miss these four words of Jesus, “he who humbles himself.” We most often think of “being humbled,” a passive activity. We say “I am humbled to be here…” or “I am humbled by your kindness,” etc. To humble yourself just doesn’t sound right, until we read how Jesus “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:8
Humbling myself means a trip to the cross, denying self, laying aside my agenda, my plans, my control, my rights, my self-centeredness, my ego, my kingdom – for His. “For every believer, the cross is the sign and symbol for obediently carrying out the will of God.” (Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Cross, p. 145)
Every time I pray, it is an opportunity to exalt Christ and put my pride on the cross, an opportunity to say with John the Baptist, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:30
Leaders are measured by how they sacrifice, not by how much they gain. When the will of God cuts across the will of a person, somebody has to die. Leaders are meant to be losers—losers of ourselves and losers of our rights. The best way to find out whether you really have a servant’s heart is to see what your reaction is when somebody treats you like one.