You don’t know what tomorrow holds, and any moment can be your miracle moment. By the end of the week, you may be celebrating the miracle. All things are possible. Only believe. He makes a way where there seems to be no way. Persist in praying according to the will of God, for nothing is impossible with God.
When gold is under fire, the refiner will watch the process. He will patiently wait. It’s not until he can see his reflection in the gold that he knows it has been purified. Likewise, in every trial, as those flaws in our character and nature are burned and melted away, God sees that the trial has served its purpose when He can see Himself in you.
Now that word “backslide” is an interesting word, because it’s come to mean different things to different people. Arguing that Christ would never let them go, some would say that true believers would never return to their old ways - while others think it’s possible for believers to once again be ensnared by the world because of their own free will. Whatever you believe, and no matter where you stand on that question, it should be your desire to remain committed to Christ for life.
We have the tendency to disqualify ourselves. When God gives us a mission, we recount our mistakes. When God gives us an assignment, we hide behind our imperfections. And while it might seem humble to count yourself out, think of the arrogance of saying, “I know better than God.” Think of the audacity of saying, “God’s power within me isn’t enough to make up for the flaws within me.”
Our pleading is too loud. Servants beg. Strangers beg. Sons come boldly with faith. Desperation is a great initiator but a terrible sustainer. Desperation initiates, but only faith sustains. Desperation is what brings me to the Lord, but once I have Him, why would I ever be desperate again? You don’t enter the glory through noisy desperation; you enter through faith-filled confidence. Confident faith, not desperation, is the way to know the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I love the way the Scripture words that: “…as many as touched him were made whole.” And the wonderful reality is that Jesus still heals. Nowhere in all of Scripture does it teach that Jesus has stopped working miracles. Everything Jesus was anointed to do while here on the earth, the Holy Spirit continues to do for and through us.
So don’t let the enemy keep you from gathering. He is a defeated foe. Don’t allow governments to keep you from gathering. Many fellow believers have given their lives in times of tyranny. Don’t allow bitterness to keep you from gathering. There is healing in connectivity. Don’t allow apathy to keep you from gathering. Keep your spiritual fire burning. Don’t allow self-reliance to keep you from gathering. We all need each other.
But when a clear line is crossed, we must be willing to respectfully resist. As much as is possible, work together with governing authorities. But if their hands become so heavy that we cannot move, if their demands become so unreasonable that we cannot practice all of God’s commands, then it is time for action. And, believer, it is time for action.
When teaching his disciples how to pray, Jesus began by saying this:
Matthew 6:9
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Notice that Jesus didn’t begin His prayer with a plea to be heard. He did not beg for God’s attention. He did not cry out to be received. He prayed with a confident knowing. Assured of His identity, Jesus prayed with a holy boldness.
The key to praying with boldness is knowing that God is your Father and that you are His child. We find our confidence when we can sincerely pray, “Our Father.”
When the believer is assured of his divine identity, he can pray unhindered by doubt and shame. Doubt and shame are the great destroyers of your prayer life. Doubt tells you that God can’t hear you; shame tells you that God won’t hear you.
And both doubt and shame can be overcome by knowing one simple yet powerful truth. That Truth is found in the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 4:15-16
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Because of what Christ accomplished on the cross, because we have a High Priest representing us before the Father, we can approach the throne of God with confidence and boldness.
The disciple of Christ does not doubt God’s existence, but the disciple of Christ does, at times, doubt God’s ability to perform His Word. And it’s not that we imagine that God is powerless. Instead, we imagine that we ourselves are unable to receive. That’s the great hindrance of doubt. In the same way, shame causes us to question whether or not God will hear our prayers.
Shame and doubt go hand-in-hand. Shame and doubt energize one another, and they are rooted in the same lies.
“Your past isn’t forgiven.”
“God is unwilling to hear you.”
“You’ve made too many mistakes.”
“It’s too late for you.”
Shame and doubt can hinder your prayer life, yes. But there is a holy boldness within - a boldness that has the power to destroy the weakening bondages of shame and doubt.
When you begin to pray, start from the place of identity. Maintain a divine audacity. Know to Whom you belong. Know that you are accepted and forgiven. Cry out, “My Father!” Let the Holy Spirit persuade you. Let Him convince you that you belong to God.
Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Trust the voice of the Holy Spirit. Ignore the voices of doubt and shame. When you pray with boldness, you’re not afraid to ask of God. When you pray while free from shame, your confidence in the Lord is renewed.
Imagine how much time you could save while praying if, instead of begging God to hear you, you simply believed that He already did. Imagine how boldly you could approach the throne if you knew the sin that causes you shame was wiped from God’s records. You’re already His. You belong to Him. Remember: we don’t pray to connect with God; we pray from connection with God. Go boldly before God.
Heroes of the faith are reflections of the glory of God, but they are only reflections. While we can receive impartation, wisdom, and inspiration from those who have gone before us, we must aim to imitate them only in this one regard: ourselves becoming reflections of the brightest light. We must look to reflect Jesus.
