Boldness. Boldness isn’t arrogance, presumption, or a sense of entitlement. It’s a type of confidence that’s based on who you are in Christ.

Paul wrote, ‘Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find his grace to help us when we need it most’ (v.16 NLT). As God’s redeemed children, we have a right to approach Him at any time. And understanding that enables us to overcome Satan’s attempts to make us feel unworthy. It removes our natural inclination to say, ‘I know God can do it, but it’s hard to believe He’ll do it for me.’ That’s how we think when we feel unworthy.

But the amazing truth is…Jesus has made us worthy! (See Colossians 1:12.) ‘We will find grace to help us when we need it most,’ and grace is simply undeserved favour. In other words, God will give us what we don’t deserve when we’re confident enough to ask Him. Plus, we’re asking in Jesus’ name, not our own. We’re presenting to the Father all that Jesus is, not all that we are.

Another important truth is that when we have hidden sin in our hearts, we can't pray with confidence. Unconfessed sin locks us in and shuts God out (see Psalm 66:18). But the good news is, when we ask God to reveal our sins, He will. And when He does, we need to deal with it straight away. God will help. If He reminds us of a situation when we didn’t do the right thing, we shouldn’t try to ignore or hide it. Instead, we should acknowledge it, receive His forgiveness, and then pray with renewed confidence.

What Now?

Do you know someone who struggles to pray with confidence? Offer to pray with them and remind them that God loves us and welcomes our prayers.