Do you feel timid when you pray?
Do your sins glare before you
and get in the way of your relationship with God?
Do you skip it altogether
because you are altogether imperfect
to come before a perfect God?
Well, I can relate
But God has shown me
that something amazing happened
when Jesus became my Savior
He became my bridge
to God
His perfection
sacrificed for me
and His righteousness
imparted to me
and His white robe of sinlessness
put on me
Caused me to be able to approach
that great throne
with confidence
and freedom
and boldness
And it’s not because I had a sinless day
but because my sins have been washed away
And I look my Abba in the eyes
and I talk to Him
We are close
and I don’t need to be timid
because of Jesus
I confess to Him
what is not right
But I don’t feel the weight
of condemnation
Because I’m not condemned
I am free
– Susie Stewart
In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
– Ephesians 3:12 (NIV)
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
– Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)
It is also very comforting to us to observe that the God who hears prayer is enthroned and glorified. The God of grace sits upon the throne of grace and so grace reigns supreme at the place where God meets with us in prayer! The hands of grace are full of blessings through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ—and those hands are happily employed in dispensing royal largess among the poverty stricken sons and daughters of men! Come here, then, all you who feel your need of grace! Be not afraid to approach the throne of grace. Since Jesus Christ has taken upon Himself our nature and suffered in our place, the throne to which the sinner is bid to draw near is a throne of superlative, unlimited, reigning grace—grace that pardons; grace that regenerates; grace that adopts; grace that preserves; grace that sanctifies; grace that perfects and makes meet for glory!
– C.H. Spurgeon
…or He delivered us and saved us and called us with a holy calling [a calling that leads to a consecrated life—a life set apart—a life of purpose], not because of our works [or because of any personal merit—we could do nothing to earn this], but because of His own purpose and grace [His amazing, undeserved favor] which was granted to us in Christ Jesus before the world began [eternal ages ago]…
– 2 Timothy 1:9 (AMP)
With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.
– Romans 8:1,2 (MSG)
Photo by Susie Stewart
Susie Stewart 