Month: August 2024

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Confidence for Prayer

For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. — Daniel 9:18 ESV

Do you ever approach God timidly, wondering if He fully accepts you? Do you let guilt or shame distance you from the one and only God, who would draw you near? Then perhaps this verse, Daniel’s confession, will stir in you as it has in me. In fact, stop for a moment and reread this verse, noting its truth, its promise, and its rest.

Now let’s unpack it together.

Truth. Implicit in Daniel’s prayer is the fact that we are not by nature righteous, and we cannot approach God with a righteousness we do not inherently have. Quoting from Psalm 14, Paul writes “There is no one righteous, not even one.”1 Daniel’s confession likewise aligns us with this essential truth, putting God and us on the same page: our relationship with Him is not based on our insufficient merit, but God’s essential goodness. And aren’t we glad!  

Promise. Inherent in Daniel’s prayer is the promise of God’s “great mercy.” God is merciful by nature, and it is in mercy that He hears our prayers and answers them. God “delights in mercy,”2 proclaims Micah, and this is His heart toward us. How reassuring!

Rest. Inferred in Daniel’s prayer is our need for a righteousness we cannot earn through our effort. The good news is that we have such a right standing with God “through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”3 Paul writes, “For as by [Adam’s] disobedience the many were made sinners, so by [Jesus’] obedience the many will be made righteous.”4 Our right standing before God is not earned through toil and seized by merit; it is given in love and received in gratitude. God has done what we could not; and we find peace in the assurance of His provision. What a relief.

Then standing firmly on truth of God’s righteousness and in the promise of His mercy, “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.”5 And in His presence, we rest.

Hear me as I pray, O Lord. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” — Psalm 27:7-8 NLT

1 Romans 3:10 NIV
2 Micah 7:18 NASB
3 Philippians 3:9 NIV
4 Romans 5:19 ESV
5 Hebrews 4:16 ESV

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The Heart of the Matter

“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there. . . Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” — Luke 23:33-34 NIV

Did you ever notice?

Amid the extreme chaos of the most pivotal day in human history — the Son of God betrayed, mocked, misrepresented, beaten, surrendered in appeasement, and now suffering an excruciating death — Jesus interceded to His Father on behalf of His tormentors: “Father, forgive them.” But did you ever notice that they never asked? His enemies never asked Jesus for forgiveness, yet He pleaded it on their behalf anyway. How opposite our natural tendency to release a grudge only at the fickle price of a suitable apology.

We could say, “Well, Jesus is God; mere mortals are not built that way.” True, we are not; our self-will demands we live life on our terms and not God’s. But let us witness another execution, the stoning of Stephen. His capital crime? Declaring Jesus to be standing at the right hand of God. Listen to Luke’s historic account of this believer’s last words. “As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ He fell to his knees, shouting, ‘Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!’ And with that, he died.”1 Had his self-appointed executioners asked for forgiveness? No. But Stephen forgave them anyway and he petitioned Jesus to do the same. Instead of appealing for justice, he cried out for mercy.

How do we reach such a point where harbored animosity ebbs and the tide of charity floods its place? Consider Luke’s description of Stephen — “a man full of God’s grace and power.”2 Therein lies the spiritual means for the naturally impossible: As we realize the depth of our sin and the divine price at which it is expunged, we grow in our embrace of God’s grace. This grace overflows its human reservoirs, pouring over in its many forms to others. When the scorned woman anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her tears, for instance, Jesus said to her antagonists, “She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful.”3 The grace of forgiveness liberates us this way.

Spend some time today considering and appreciating God’s undeserved, yet limitless favor toward you. In humility before Him, think also of those who need to experience your forgiveness, even if they haven’t asked for it. Then, in God’s grace and power, release them for good.

“Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” — Ephesians 4:32 NASB

Father, Your goodness and faithfulness toward me, a sinner, is humbling. Indwell me through Your Spirit of grace and power, that I would be a vessel of grace and forgiveness to others. In Christ I pray. Amen.

1 Acts 7:59-60 NLT, emphasis added
2 Acts 6:8 ESV, emphasis added
3 Luke 7:47 The Message

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The Grace of Relinquishing Control

At an athletic six feet, five inches and two hundred ninety pounds, my friend James played offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys back in the day, which is to say he understood imposing one’s will amid chaos. A recent stroke, complicated by Guillain-Barre syndrome, has changed all of this, however. “I used to try to control my world,” reflected my now older, wiser friend, “but what I learned is, we don’t control much.” So true, so true. Whether you want to control a situation but can’t, or you need someone else to exert authority and they won’t, ineffectuality is a dispiriting place to live.

I once found myself needing a reluctant colleague to take control of a situation that was his to manage. Perhaps you can recall this type of occurrence in your life. I found myself profoundly frustrated, even to the point of feeling nauseous and losing sleep. No matter how hard I tried to urge him along, and despite how much our team needed him to act, he remained idle. Sharing my burden, Peggy suggested three Bible verses that, though I had read them many times, now sprang to life under the circumstances.

Isaiah 26:3 NKJV. “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” I prayed this repeatedly, whether on a walk outside, pacing the kitchen floor, or lying sleeplessly in my bed. Dozens of times, scores of times, and ultimately hundreds of times. And indeed peace came at the realization it is God who faithfully provides it.

Philippians 4:6-7 NIV. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When to my petition I added thanks — not as a formula or gimmick, but truly — my peace indeed rose to a level beyond my ability to comprehend. Though outward circumstances had not changed, amazement and joy now sprang up within me.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This verse reminded me that neither fear nor blame are of God, but of the evil one. Mine was to relinquish in faith both my frustration with my colleague and my underestimation of God. And again came deep peace.

Herein lies the grace: realizing “we don’t control much,” we can entrust ourselves to Him who does and, in Him, have peace. Try it.

Father, You are sovereign over all things. You are good, and You guide us in Your goodness. Grace us to relinquish our attempts at control and to entrust ourselves to Yours. In Christ we pray. Amen.