Come boldly unto the throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16
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.
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—the confidence protocol.
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 Matt. 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).
My wife and I went out to lunch with a pastor and his wife on a Saturday and enjoyed a wonderful time over a great Italian meal. The moment we exited the building, however, the pastor doubled over in writhing pain. We managed to get him into the passenger’s seat of the car; then I slipped behind the wheel, and we sped off to the hospital. He was diagnosed with kidney stones. The physicians said it would take twenty-four to forty-eight hours for the stone to pass and his situation to settle down. As it happened, Christ Life Ministries was conducting a Prayer Summit at the church where this man pastored. That evening I recommended that the congregation pray the prayer of faith and believe God to clear up the pastor’s pain. We boldly prayed, asking that the pastor would be released from the hospital, be restored to health, and attend the Sunday worship service the next morning.
The issue was resolved earlier than the doctor had predicted. In fact, the pastor was home by one o’clock in the morning. After a good night’s sleep, he was presiding over the Sunday morning service, fit as a fiddle! That was exactly what the congregation had boldly asked for in prayer.
God is seated on a throne—a throne of grace. Aren’t you glad for the throne of grace? God invites us to come to His throne to obtain mercy and find favor to help in times of need. A throne of mercy is much more accessible than a throne of justice. Knowing the weakness of our flesh and the imperfections of our faith, this throne of mercy is appealing. Mercy is our great need, and God offers us help when we draw near to Him with confidence. Hebrews says that we are to “come boldly” to God’s throne. We need to stop groveling in doubt and hesitancy. We must obey this protocol by coming boldly to God every time a need arises. Peter overcame his fear by appealing to Jesus. At Jesus’ beckoning, he did the unachievable—he walked on water! Human limitations are not an issue for the God of the impossible. We must dare to believe God.
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” (Ps. 78:41). Think of it—human beings are capable of restricting God’s power! The Israelites knew God’s presence and had His promise, but they chose doubt over placing their confidence in Him. The consequence of their doubt was catastrophic. Instead of possessing their possessions, they all died in the wilderness. Their unbelief literally killed them. Unbelief is just as deadly today.
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’s not the greatness of our faith that grants us favor. It’s our confidence in God that secures His mercy and grace. Deliberate faith in God’s faithfulness also secures His power.
Too many of us are the product of an unbelieving religious culture. Requests are many in our day, but answers are few. Prayer meetings are filled with people giving requests instead of praying their requests in an atmosphere of expectancy. Small wonder prayer meetings are so poorly attended. It is not only discouraging but also depressing to attend a problem-based prayer gathering. But there is hope. We can reprogram our prayer meetings by moving to God-centered, worship-based prayer times. On a personal level, we can reorder our prayer lives by praying with confidence.
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’s approach the Lord with confidence.
Reflection
- God’s invitation to “come boldly” means to approach Him confidently, with expectation.
- Unbelief, shyness, and timidity in prayer are an insult to God.
- Peter’s water walking required courage, conviction, and boldness. He achieved the impossible through the confidence protocol.
- We should pay attention to Bible verses that enliven our faith. Our faith is enhanced by reading and believing God’s Word.
Application
- Stop focusing on what is and start considering what can be. Dare to look beyond the obvious to the possible. Jesus said that all things are possible to him who believes (see Mark 9:23).
- If you have displayed more cautiousness than confidence in your praying, then have a conversation with God about it.
- God’s throne is a place of grace. Bring your needs to God based on the assurance of His Word. Come boldly.
- Begin reprogramming your prayer life by rebuilding your mind-set with strong confidence in God’s character and promises. When you lift up a petition to God, thank Him for answering.
This chapter is from “Approaching God’s Throne: Protocols For Prayer” by Harold Vaughan.
