“Know that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3
When the Lord Jesus entered heaven, after dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead, He “entered the Most Holy Place once for all, with His own blood,” “…having obtained eternal redemption.” (Heb. 9:12) In doing this, “…by His blood,” He consecrated for all believers “…a new and living way” by which every believer could draw near to God. Christ’s provision in His precious blood, and the fact that He was, and remains, a “High Priest” over the house of God, assures every believer that access is given to the Father with certainty in response to full assurance of faith. By His precious blood, and its application to every believer, the heart is sprinkled, and cleansed from all sin, removing every trace of sin and the guilt associated with it. It also provides for the entirety of the believer, every aspect of his person being cleansed. This is illustrated, not only by the removal of all “filthy garments,” which speak of unconfessed sins, but also of a washing of one’s feet, as was the case of Christ when He bent down to wash Peter’s feet. In that act of dealing with Peter’s feet, the whole of his being was declared to be cleansed. John the Apostle would clarify this by writing, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9) In understanding what Christ has done by the offering of Himself for sin, the shedding of His precious blood to cleanse sin away, and his High Priestly work to apply that blood to the sinner’s sin, great assurance can come to the heart with regard to approaching God with a good conscience, boldly approaching the Father’s throne of grace, there to actually obtain mercy, somewhat like the King of Persia when he extended his scepter of acceptance to Ester the Queen.
In addition to obtaining mercy, there is also the blessing of receiving grace, abundant and abounding, to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16) In other words, the believer is called by name to come unto the Father, in the Jesus’ name, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to first worship in Spirit and truth, then to hear what the Father says, and respond in thanksgiving and praise, in obedient faith. God reveals Himself to the heart and soul of the one who comes to Him in this way. He will certainly not cast him out.
But how do we pray? What do we say? Many are the prayers of the saints through the ages, some long and some short, but those which are accepted come from the heart, a heart that truly desires to draw near to God.
Dear Father in Heaven, Thou art Holy, and infinitely worthy to be worshipped and adored for what Thou art. There is none like Thee, for Thou art the Creator, the Redeemer of our souls by the Lord Jesus, even the very Sustainer of our lives, and eternal existence, the provider of every need. It is for this reason that we come to honor and bless Thy NAME, and that of Thy Son, and the Spirit, the triune God who changes never, every moment worthy to be praised.
We pray, for the glory of Thy great and blessed name, that Thy living Word will go forth to the ends of the earth, so that many far and near, from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, will hear, and turn to Thee. We pray that Thou wilt give the Holy Spirit to all who will hear and respond as Thy word is preached and taught. And we pray that Thy church, the living body of Christ, will be built up in every place awaiting Thy Son’s coming again.
Dear Father, move mightily upon us today, that Thy perfect will and purposes be realized as Thy kingdom comes in the hearts and minds of men.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.