The Throne of Grace

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need – Hebrews 4:14-16 NKJV.  

Looking back at my life before I received Jesus as my Savior, I am convinced that many prayers must have been prayed on my behalf. Because without those prayers I doubt that I would have lived beyond my teenage years. I am indeed thankful for those who prayed for me then and for those who pray for me now.

Prayer has been and still is a great passion in my life and yet I know that my prayer life is dwarfed beside the prayer lives of countless other faithful saints of God.

Our prayers are eternal and in the apostle John’s vision of Heaven in Revelation 5:8 we are told “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” There we can see that our prayers are kept in Heaven in those “golden bowls.”

In Hebrews 4 we are told that we can go directly to God when we pray because of Jesus. We are told this: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace.” That throne of grace is in Heaven. The apostle John also gives us a glimpse of that throne in Heaven. Here is that glimpse of Heaven in Revelation 4:2-6a: Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.  And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.  Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes;  and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.

When you pray in the name of Jesus you are coming before that throne in Heaven. When you pray you should picture yourself before that glorious throne because you are there in spirit. You may be driving in your car, or laying in your bed, or sitting at your desk at work, but whatever your physical situation; when you pray you have entered the throne room of Almighty God. What a great and awesome privilege we have as the children of God “…come boldly to the throne of grace!”

During this year when everything seems to have come apart at the seams, I hope that you will avail yourself of this great and awesome privilege of prayer more so than ever before. Pray for yourself, for your family, for your friends. Maybe you know some teenage boys and girls that need your prayers to make it through that difficult time in their lives. There are so many hurting people across this world that need our prayers. Have you come before the throne of grace” today?