… Because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).
—Ephesians 3:12
We should never feel insecure when we approach God in prayer. He knows all of our weaknesses and loves us anyway. God wants to give us more than enough, not barely enough, and we need to ask boldly.
Approaching God boldly in prayer can be likened to going to a bank to make a withdrawal. If I know I have fifty dollars in the bank because I deposited it there last week, I will not hesitate to pull up to the drive-through window and cash a fifty-dollar check. I know I have the money; it’s mine, and I can get it out of the bank if I want to. When I present my check, I fully expect to get my fifty dollars.
We need to approach God with that same kind of boldness, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the privilege of being joint heirs with Jesus. We need to understand what is available to us because of Jesus and we need to pray confidently, with full expectation that we will receive what belongs to us. God has made incredible provision available to us in Christ and we simply need to ask in Jesus’ name for the blessings He has already purchased for us.
When we struggle with feelings of unworthiness, we should go to God’s Word and let it remind us of our privileges as children of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us enter boldly into God’s presence and receive the help we need because, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17 NKJV). He will speak to us and remind us that we belong to God!
God’s word for you today: You are God’s child and He is looking and longing to be good to you.
It’s Like Going to the Bank
by Joyce Meyer - posted July 22, 2017… Because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).
—Ephesians 3:12
We should never feel insecure when we approach God in prayer. He knows all of our weaknesses and loves us anyway. God wants to give us more than enough, not barely enough, and we need to ask boldly.
Approaching God boldly in prayer can be likened to going to a bank to make a withdrawal. If I know I have fifty dollars in the bank because I deposited it there last week, I will not hesitate to pull up to the drive-through window and cash a fifty-dollar check. I know I have the money; it’s mine, and I can get it out of the bank if I want to. When I present my check, I fully expect to get my fifty dollars.
We need to approach God with that same kind of boldness, not because of our own righteousness, but because of the privilege of being joint heirs with Jesus. We need to understand what is available to us because of Jesus and we need to pray confidently, with full expectation that we will receive what belongs to us. God has made incredible provision available to us in Christ and we simply need to ask in Jesus’ name for the blessings He has already purchased for us.
When we struggle with feelings of unworthiness, we should go to God’s Word and let it remind us of our privileges as children of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to help us enter boldly into God’s presence and receive the help we need because, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17 NKJV). He will speak to us and remind us that we belong to God!
God’s word for you today: You are God’s child and He is looking and longing to be good to you.
Do Right Anyway
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:14–15
It is said that when Harry Truman became president, he received greetings from a number of world leaders, including an elaborate letter from the king of Saudi Arabia. It was on lavender paper, stamped with a massive wax seal, and trailing long purple ribbons. The letter was addressed to “Your Excellency.” After some time passed and Truman had formally recognized the new state of Israel, he received another letter from the king. This one was printed on plain paper and addressed to “Mr. Truman.”
If we do what is right, there will always be some who are not happy about it. Even Jesus, who lived a perfect life and never did anything wrong, had many enemies. They resented that He refused to bow to their whims and instead did what God had commanded without regard for their traditions. Though we are not perfect, we do our best to do what we know to be right, and it would be nice to think that others would see and appreciate that effort.
The important thing, however, is not the approval of men but the smile of God. And though it is not pleasant to be critiqued and condemned for doing right, the actions of others should never sway us from that course. The decision to do what is right is one we can make for ourselves regardless of what anyone or everyone else does.
Joshua 24:14–15
It is said that when Harry Truman became president, he received greetings from a number of world leaders, including an elaborate letter from the king of Saudi Arabia. It was on lavender paper, stamped with a massive wax seal, and trailing long purple ribbons. The letter was addressed to “Your Excellency.” After some time passed and Truman had formally recognized the new state of Israel, he received another letter from the king. This one was printed on plain paper and addressed to “Mr. Truman.”
If we do what is right, there will always be some who are not happy about it. Even Jesus, who lived a perfect life and never did anything wrong, had many enemies. They resented that He refused to bow to their whims and instead did what God had commanded without regard for their traditions. Though we are not perfect, we do our best to do what we know to be right, and it would be nice to think that others would see and appreciate that effort.
The important thing, however, is not the approval of men but the smile of God. And though it is not pleasant to be critiqued and condemned for doing right, the actions of others should never sway us from that course. The decision to do what is right is one we can make for ourselves regardless of what anyone or everyone else does.
Today’s Growth Principle:
There may be times when doing right requires you to stand alone—do right anyway.
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