Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
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.
Hebrews 4:14-16
There are many reasons that we pray:
We pray because we are overwhelmed.
We pray because we are grateful.
We pray because we are going through a hard time.
We pray because someone asks us to.
We pray when we are searching for strength, wisdom, or direction.
But in Hebrews 4, the writer offers a powerful promise of what awaits us every time we “approach the throne of grace with confidence”:
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.
Those two things—mercy and grace—are offered freely by Jesus and offered to those who come to Him in prayer.
Mercy is God’s compassion when we deserve punishment.
Grace is His favor when we haven’t earned it.
And we need both—mercy and grace—every single day.
Mercy to overcome our shortcomings and where we have fallen short of the glory of God, and grace to find the strength to live for Him each day in a fallen world.
The world can’t offer them. And our own strength can’t create them.
Only Jesus can provide them—because He is our great high priest. No other intermediary is required. The One who understands our weakness, who was tempted in every way just like us, yet without sin, invites us to approach Him today and receive both the mercy and the grace we need.
If you’re carrying guilt today, go to the throne and receive mercy.
If you’re feeling unworthy or helpless, go to the throne and find grace.
There is no one more understanding. There is no one more welcoming. And there is no one more powerful to provide everything you need for life and godliness today.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you that you understand my weakness and still invite me to come to you. I need your mercy today. I need your grace. Help me approach you not with fear, but with confidence—because of who you are and all that you have done. Amen.