Approach with Confidence

- Jesus Christ is our High Priest who can empathize with us. He understands. In His humanity, Christ was familiar with our needs, temptations, and problems. Satan tempted Him in the wilderness but He didn't succumb to the temptation; He did not sin. He overcame each temptation with God's Word. We don't have to sin when facing temptations, either. "I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." (Psalm 119:11) "The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible." (~D. L. Moody)
- When Jesus breathed His last breath, the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies (a place reserved by God for Himself) was torn in two from top to bottom. Jesus's death for our sins opened up the way for us to approach our holy God. God granted us (those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior) a direct access to Him. Before Christ's death on the cross, "only the high priest entered the inner room (the Holy of Holies), and that only once a year (on the Day of Atonement), and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance." (Hebrews 9:7) Before Christ's death on the cross, most people were only allowed partial access to God through the priests. I'm so thankful that God made a way for us to have fellowship with Him. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we've been given access to our Heavenly Father through prayer (no priests needed). May we never take the privilege of prayer for granted! The curtain is gone; we can now enter boldly into the presence of God with our petitions. Because Christ is our High Priest (and Intercessor), we can approach God with total confidence. He is able and He is faithful to meet our every need. Want help? Pray.
- "Prayer should be...constant, fervent, believing, hopeful, and incessant. God loves it, Satan hates it, and every true Christian values it. True prayer is always necessary, profitable and acceptable to God." (~James Smith) Prayer is my sweet spot of rest and comfort where I can leave all my burdens and troubles and receive a loving welcome and attention from my Heavenly Father. The purpose of prayer is not to have God answer according to our will and desires, but to have our hearts and mind line up with His will and desires. Feel anxious, hurt, discouraged, misunderstood, etc.? Jesus says, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) He loves you and longs to give you all the grace, mercy, and strength that you need to walk victoriously through any situation.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I'm so thankful that I can come to You anytime, anywhere and tell you about anything. I'm so glad that You never get tired of listening to my prayers and that You're always available. Please continue to transform my heart and mind to be like Christ's. Thank You for Your inexhaustible grace and mercy! Thank You for being my Refuge, Strength, and Ever-present Hep in time of need! In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.