How you see yourself influences how you pray.
Perhaps I should say: How you pray depends on how you think God sees you.
The writer to the Hebrews says that believers should approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But you will not be confident if you think God has a poor opinion of you.
I must say I have done more than my share of grovelling before God, expecting him to turn his face away because of my many sins.
In fact, I have often approached the Lord in the same way the prodigal son did in the great story Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32.
The son had wasted the inheritance he received from his father and returned home thinking himself unworthy and ready to ask to be a servant instead of a son. But the father had been waiting for his son and ran forward and hugged him even before he could get out his request. And the father lavished clothes and rings upon him and threw a "welcome home" party for him.
The prodigal son story is all about how much God loves us and pours out his grace upon us even though we are not worthy.
It is right to be humble but wrong to feel we are unworthy once we have become God's children through faith. Once we put our faith in Christ, God sees Jesus when he looks at us - he has forever forgiven us our sins.
In his book Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson has written a wonderful list of scriptures talking about who we are in Jesus Christ. Here are a few of the points Anderson makes: We are God's children; we have been justified; we have been forgiven all our sins; we are free from condemnation; we are citizens of heaven; and we can approach God with freedom and confidence.
I am conscious I still sin. I need to confess to God that I have sinned.
But then I am free to come before God and pray with faith and boldness.
Like the father in the prodigal son story, he's anxious to hear me and lavish good things upon me.
Knowing that truth brings life and hope and power to my prayers.
Perhaps I should say: How you pray depends on how you think God sees you.
The writer to the Hebrews says that believers should approach God's throne with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). But you will not be confident if you think God has a poor opinion of you.
I must say I have done more than my share of grovelling before God, expecting him to turn his face away because of my many sins.
In fact, I have often approached the Lord in the same way the prodigal son did in the great story Jesus told in Luke 15:11-32.
The son had wasted the inheritance he received from his father and returned home thinking himself unworthy and ready to ask to be a servant instead of a son. But the father had been waiting for his son and ran forward and hugged him even before he could get out his request. And the father lavished clothes and rings upon him and threw a "welcome home" party for him.
The prodigal son story is all about how much God loves us and pours out his grace upon us even though we are not worthy.
It is right to be humble but wrong to feel we are unworthy once we have become God's children through faith. Once we put our faith in Christ, God sees Jesus when he looks at us - he has forever forgiven us our sins.
In his book Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson has written a wonderful list of scriptures talking about who we are in Jesus Christ. Here are a few of the points Anderson makes: We are God's children; we have been justified; we have been forgiven all our sins; we are free from condemnation; we are citizens of heaven; and we can approach God with freedom and confidence.
I am conscious I still sin. I need to confess to God that I have sinned.
But then I am free to come before God and pray with faith and boldness.
Like the father in the prodigal son story, he's anxious to hear me and lavish good things upon me.
Knowing that truth brings life and hope and power to my prayers.
No comments:
Post a Comment