Go Boldly before the Throne

Week 37

When we come into the presence of God with our prayers, how do we approach the Sovereign ruler of the universe? What should our posture be? What kind of prayers are pleasing to God and what type of prayers does he ignore? Does he ignore some of our prayers? 

Entering the presence of the most high God should never been taken lightly. The word of God tells us that we should have a reverential fear of God. He is, after all, the one who gives us life and he can also take it away. 

We must realize that the only way we can enter into the presence of God is through Jesus. Jesus said he is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) Visualize Jesus waiting outside the throne room for you, as you approach him he walks you to the door, opens it and walks up to the throne with you. Then he stands beside you while you petition the God of heaven and earth. He interprets your prayers to the Father. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Once we get inside the throne room, we need to take on an attitude of humbleness. When we think about approaching the God of the universe, the one who created us and the one who saved us from eternal destruction, we should let him know that we respect him and revere him. We should spend some time in adoration of him, bowing before him. Telling him that we love him and giving him praise that is due him. What an honor and a privilege that we can come to him. Let him know what your relationship with him means to you. Just worship him in whatever way you feel led to. 

Sometimes when I come into God’s presence I want to thank him for who he is and what he has done. Sometimes I want to sing praises to him. Sometimes I just want to bend my knees and bow before him. I have even felt led to get flat on my face before him. The Spirit of God will lead you to the stance that is appropriate for the day and the place. The Spirit will also let you know when you may begin your petitions. 

There have been times when someone is very heavy on my heart and I only have one petition. I may elaborate with God explaining what I would like him to do for this person, bring healing, salvation, peace, comfort. Sometimes I have a list of people with needs and I just say their names knowing that God knows them better than I do and will meet them at their point of need. 

When we are in the presence of God, we know that Christ Jesus is right there beside us and that the Holy Spirit of God is within us and often in the midst of such righteousness, we are convicted of a sin in our life that we need to confess and ask for forgiveness. 

This can be a time of great sorrow and we may want to weep when we think how we have hurt someone or how disappointed God must be in us for failing again. But this can also be a time of deep cleansing. After we confess, repent and turn from our sin we may be urged to call someone and apologize, or write someone a note. God may expect us to do something, but he may just want us to regret the sin, ask for forgiveness and put it behind us. Whatever he asks you do, do it with a willing spirit knowing that he loves you and forgives you. God only wants what is best for us.

Many times after being convicted of sin and repenting, I sense a move within my spirit that God wants me to pray for someone or some situation in a particular way. It is these times of prayer that are the most personal and the most awesome. The boldness with which I pray overwhelms me. 

God will occasionally give me visions of someone to pray for. He will often give me very specific things to ask for. When I offer these prayers to God it is almost like they have been answered already. It is, in a sense, like calling those things that are not as though they were.

In 1 John 5:14-15 we hear John say, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.”

There may be times when you are in his presence and God may just want to love you. He may ask you to read a portion of scripture that will encourage you or be an answer to one of the petitions you have lifted to him. The important thing to remember when you are in the presence of God is to linger there for a time. Just be still and let him speak to you.

We have a tendency to tell God what we want to tell him and then get on with the chores of the day. Our time with him can become one more thing to do and one more thing that we can check off our list of daily chores. He doesn’t want our leftovers, he doesn’t want to be an afterthought. He wants to come first in our lives. He expects us to give him our best. He gave his only son for us, why would he deserve less from us?

As your time before the throne ends, it is good to let God know how wonderful your time together has been. Thank him for listening to your prayers, thank him for answering in his own time and his own way. Thank him for the blessings that you have. Let him know that you think he is a good God. Let God know what your time with him has meant to you.

Father God, You are the one true God the one who made all things. I give you praise and I worship you because you are my creator. You are the one who made a way for us to inherit eternal life and that is one of the best gifts you could give us. Thank you for the opportunity that you have given us to come into your presence. We realize that when we come to you we are standing on Holy Ground. Whenever we come to you Lord, we ask that you remind us of any sin in our lives, we also ask that you hear our requests for those your Spirit has put in our hearts. We thank you for listening to us and ask that only your will be done. Disregard those requests that are not in accordance with your will, in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen