Harold Vaughan- The Bible instructs us to approach God with boldness, or confidence: "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. 4:16).
The word "boldly" speaks of frankness, bluntness, and assurance. It conveys the idea of confiding in God — having confidence in God. (Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
The confidence protocol is a requirement for us in approaching God. Timidity is not humility. Far from impressing our Father, shyness and sheepishness insult Him and hinder prayer. God loves it when His children esteem Him highly enough to pray with confidence and assurance.
Enough of this doubtful trepidation in prayer. We have the scriptural authority to confidently enter the holy place through Jesus' blood. We have "boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus" (Heb. 10:19).
Jesus' atoning death has torn the curtain that separated man from God. The way to God is now open, available, and accessible. God invites His children to come to Him with complete trust.
To walk on water we must get out of the boat. All the disciples were in the ship when a terrible storm arose. As the winds and waves crashed all around, here came Jesus, walking on the sea. The disciples were terrified, but Jesus revealed His identity and told them to stop fearing and take heart.
Peter was the only disciple who had the courage to ask Jesus to invite him to come toward Him, walking on the water (see Matthew 14:28). At Christ's bidding, Peter climbed out of the boat and walked on water.
It required courage and conviction for Peter to ask such an impossible request. But it took incredible confidence to take that first step. This is the type of praying that pleases God — praying that places full reliance upon Him.
Bold praying like this disregards the wind and waves. Confident praying dares to look beyond our immediate surroundings and circumstances. We must learn to approach the throne of grace with courage, certainty, and assurance. Through faith we can confidently approach God, "in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him" (Eph. 3:12).
Unbelief is serious — It limits God. The children of Israel grieved, provoked, tempted, and limited God through their unbelief. ". . . They turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" (Psa. 78:41).
R. A. Torrey said that "Faith is 'taking God at His word.' Faith is not belief without evidence. It is belief on the very best evidence, the word of Him who cannot lie (Titus 1:2)." The Bible is filled with encouragements for us to believe God.
He is delighted when His children trust Him. He invites us to come with boldness. It is our confidence in God that secures His mercy and grace. Deliberate faith in God's faithfulness also secures His power.
If we look around, we will be discouraged. If we look to people, we will likely be disappointed. If we look inward, we will be depressed. But when we look to Christ, we will be rewarded. Let us approach the Lord with confidence.
— Condensed from Approaching God's Throne — Biblical Protocols For Prayer by Harold Vaughan, as seen in the Herald of His Coming, Sept/Oct 2020 magazine, used by permission))
By Dave Roberson Ministries
Father, as Your Word instructs us to approach You with boldness and confidence, may we learn to speak with You with frankness and the assurance that our prayers are obtaining mercy and grace.
441-445 one-line Scriptures for those of you who want to learn some more verses this week- or to review them from when they were first posted-
By Katherine Britton
"I had been picturing an idyllic, Psalm-23-ish passage as the setting for my pet verse, but the context is completely different. This psalm is actually the meditation of a man holding back fear with faith. In a setting of uncertainty, war, and all-around "trouble" (vs. 1), the psalmist focuses on the peace that comes from being the presence of God... even though the earth around him threatens to fall apart. The verse holds even more power in this context than in my imagined setting, doesn't it?
I love the Psalms because of their deep meditations on humanity confronted with God's holiness and faithfulness. I can see real men writing the lines, reminding themselves of the bigger context for their troubles. I see people who - like me - wondered what would happen next in this life. But every one of them comes to the realization that they serve a God who supersedes their worries and replaces them with worship. The psalmists heard the command to "be still and know" and found that God blew their imaginations."
~ As we give thought to what Christ endured for us, may we see the Father’s mercy and Love displayed. He was present with Him through the beatings and shameful treatment; He felt the awful pain Christ endured. As God's Holy Spirit was in Christ, He looked out on humanity with loving Eyes of forgiveness.
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| Spring flowers Photo by Yoksel 🌿 Zok on Unsplash |
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Great post thanks for sharing
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