Biblical Teaching on Prayer
Hebrews 4:16
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.
Pondering Point
The confidence to approach God described in this passage relates directly to Jesus. Come to God in Jesus’ name and you are guaranteed mercy and grace. Come to God without his name and you are asking for trouble. Acts 4:12 acknowledges that there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. But pause for a second. We don’t just approach God to be saved, as wonderful as that it. It is also about what comes with the salvation that Jesus brings us. It’s about connection; it’s about relationship with God and our neighbor.
Through Jesus, we can come to God for more than salvation. God also offers guidance, insight, strength, hope, peace – and the list goes on. Abba Father wants to help us in our time of need as we live out our calling as God’s workmanship. This gives us reason every day to approach the throne of God – and to do so with confidence that we will be heard for Jesus’ sake.
Prayer
Father God, I approach Your throne with confidence that You hear me in the name and under the ministry of Jesus my Lord. Thanks for forgiving me all of my sins. Lead me in all of my ways as I return from your ‘throne of grace.’ I desire to be an agent of grace in a world truly needing Your grace and mercy. Amen.
Prayer Thoughts
Chapter 6
Confidence
I remember Louie Armbrecht, an 8th grade teacher at Saint Lorenz and one of my mentors, giving a talk on prayer to our Parent Teachers’ League in about 1965. He went through all parts of life and kept repeating, “Have you prayed about it?” “Have you prayed about it?” Several years later, just before he died of leukemia, I asked him after a Bible class held in the basement of our home, “What would you have done differently in your life, if you could live it over?” He answered, “I would pray more.” Here was a man who prayed honestly and consistently, but still knew he could have prayed more. I’ll never forget his words. “I would pray more.” I didn’t want to make the same mistake…
Confidence is more than thinking you can. It knows you can do something. Confidence is a belief and an attitude. An attitude can be worked on. Who controls your attitude? With the help of the Holy Spirit, you do. You control how you react to the situation around you and remember; confidence develops from having positive experiences given to us by God.
Got his book? Read pages 46-49 in Keep Me and Keep All, Smith.
Also check out Pastor Bob’s answer to Prayer Question #1 on page 239: “How do you define prayer?"