“Let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace.”
What comes to your mind when someone tells you to “know your place?”
We can try to put someone in their place with our words or actions, or we can be made to feel out of place by others’ words or actions. In trying to achieve a place of prominence, we may even find ourselves fighting for the place we think we deserve.
Knowing our place in God’s kingdom, while more about position than location, is not negative, but rather a beautiful discovery of how we fit in and, more importantly, that we do fit in.
As we walk through a difficult season, we need to remember who we are, our place in the kingdom of God, and how our place impacts when we pray.
“Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].” (Hebrews 4:16, AMP)
The NLT says we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” The NIV says, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence.”
How can we come before the Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth, with privilege, confidence, and boldness?
We can because we understand our place in God’s kingdom.
With humility and reverence, we embrace the power of the resurrection and how that event shifted our position to a place of privilege. Because of God’s love for us through His Son, Jesus, we have left our position in our old life to a new position in our new life.
In Christ, We Are
- No longer enemies, but are God’s friends. (John 15:15)
- No longer orphans, but are adopted as daughters and sons of God. (Ephesians 1:4-5)
- Outcast to accepted. (Isaiah 43:1, Romans 15:7)
- Beggars to heirs. (Ephesians 1:18)
- Overlooked to chosen. (John 15:16)
The above list only scratches the surface of understanding who we are in Christ. “You belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God” (1 Corinthians 3:23, NLT). In God’s kingdom, we belong.
Unfortunately, when it comes to our prayer life, we forget Whose we are. “God doesn’t want us acting or thinking like orphans any longer. Spiritual orphans beg and plead. Heirs pray and believe.” (Larson, 2016, p. 79)
When we are praying through it, we need to guard our hearts from slipping into something less than who we are. We need to step into the power of the resurrected Christ each time we ask, seek, and knock. (Romans 8:11, Matthew 7:7-12)
When we pray through it, may we remember the 5 Ps that will help us keep on praying and never give up.
- Be Persistent in your prayers. (Luke 18:1-8)
- Know the Power behind your prayers. (Matthew 6:8-9)
- Profess the truth in your prayers. (Psalm 51, 6, 16-17)
- Make praying part of what Prepares you for what is to come. (Matthew 26:36-46)
- Pray from the Place of knowing who you are. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
I pray that you tell the truth about how the world has made you feel about yourself and allow Jesus’ death and resurrection to absorb all those lies. May you grow more and more in understanding who you are in Christ and pray from a place of knowing who you are. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: In Christ, I am…(fill in what you need to believe)
Reflect: How well do you feel you live out who you are in Christ? How does your prayer life reflect your praying from a place of solidly knowing who you are? Invite Jesus to show you where you are not living fully in who you are and to transform you into the person He sees. How are your prayers different when you pray with confidence, boldness, and privilege?
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom and teach you more about knowing your place while praying.) Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalm 27; Colossians 3:1-17
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(Larson, S. (2016). Your Powerful Prayers. Bethany House.)
(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version, AMP – Amplified Version)
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