Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Privilege of Petition Pt.1

Just before we get into study for this evening… It’s so often we have to make different announcements that have been a burden for us and it’s always great to make some that are a blessing. We just want to let you know that prior to the service tonight, I was able to meet with Tony and tell him to start packing, that he’s going to be heading back to Africa with Ronnie. We’re excited to see him restored back into ministry and what God has for him. The seven months of discipline that he’s been under, as we were just talking, have been the most grievous hours of his life. But the Scripture says that though they’re grievous for a moment, it works the peaceable fruit of righteousness. We’re excited about the good things that are manifesting in that life and the fruit that’s coming from this and excited about seeing the gifts now in operation properly for the glory of God and to be able to affect the ministry wherever it might be. We’re believing and praying effectually that Father will open doors of utterance for us in Kenya. If not, there will be other opportunities. We believe Jesus is coming back real soon, and we’re going to continue to not only reach our Jerusalem here, but Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world.

We have a number of people who are going down this weekend to minister to a couple of hundred youth in the juvenile detention in Richmond–a great opportunity there. I was sharing with Rob some of the things that would really be effectual in reaching children in that setting. I worked in juvenile hall years ago. As I was in Bible college I was also working full time in the juvenile hall system and able to share the gospel. It was a great, great time. I would really be able to sow into the lives of young people extensively. Not preaching to them, just sitting there and sharing–some kids who have never been loved–and being able to love them. An exciting opportunity there, so pray about that.

As Rob was just in the prison Tuesday, he was talking about the way that Father has ordered the steps–just some real good things going on. The church is just about to double, I understand, down there. We have right now–I’m not talking about those that come to the Bible study, I’m talking about the church. How many of you know that we have a church down there? Did you know we have a church in prison down there? It’s about to double. We have six members. There are a number of others that have been wanting to come in and they’re being proven. They’ve been in a position of being tested and proving and we’re about to see the church double. We say "praise God" for that.

An interesting thing happened in the prison ministry. They got goofed up. You’d be surprised what goes on in these institutions. Everybody and their brother in there is a preacher. They’re either a preacher, going to be a preacher, or were a preacher. It’s something that you’re looking at, but more doctrines coming down the pike than you can shake a stick at; everybody’s an expert. There is a lot of opportunity for contention and everybody doing their own thing and people just not wanting to be in positions of subordination. Everybody wants to be an authority to themselves. In the off-nights that we’re not there, they show movies. A lot of the movies they have are T.D. Jakes. They had announced that T.D. Jakes was going to be there on film and Robbie showed up. Now they look a lot alike, but they knew that it wasn’t T.D. when the thing started. The cool thing about that is once you’re in there you don’t get out until it’s over. The door is shut and you’re there, a captive audience. Rob was able to share and a lot of the guys who had not been out in the meetings didn’t come out just because of what they heard other people saying, and afterwards came up and said, "Praise God. This is an exciting ministry," and different things and planning on coming back. They had seen it with their own eyes and tasted of it. There are a lot of things that are going on, so continue to pray for that ministry, the outreach in the prison.

The different outreaches locally here–we thank God for those who have been going out on a monthly basis and shaking the bushes and being able to reach our Jerusalem–go into all the world. We have a responsibility to touch those that are around us. The time is coming when these folks… In fact, someone was sharing with me just the other day that they felt the last time they were out in Cascades there was more of an openness than they had sensed before. A lot of times people, after having attained certain goals in life, say, "Is this all there is?" and they are ready to hear. Others are getting ready for the next step and some, earlier than others, realize the vanity of making that their treasure. So continue to pray and be available for that ministry.

Let’s go ahead and turn in our Bibles. We want to look at a couple of different aspects tonight. I want to deal with one of the central topics of the Scriptures, probably one of the most written about topics in the history of the church–more written about and probably least practiced than anything else–and that’s prayer. We want to talk about the privilege of petitioning God. I think sometimes we forget what a great privilege it is to come into the presence of God, and to be able to recognize Him as our source. We’re going to talk about petitioning God-not praising, not worship. We’re going to talk about coming and asking God for stuff. It can either be done selfishly or it can be done innocently in dependence, like a child. That is the spirit that we’re supposed to approach our Father in. It’s not one of arrogance; it’s not "give me that, that’s mine." It’s an innocent dependence upon a loving heavenly Father. What a privilege to be able to come into the throne room of our Dad and draw upon His heart of compassion and love, to have full assurance in His omnipotence and His omniscience–He knows what’s best for us–and to be able to trust in His administration to us. That’s what we want to look at.

We’ve been talking a lot over the last months and years, even, and trying to take the pendulum swing from "name it, claim it; I’ll make it happen by my faith; hang on and don’t turn loose of whatever it is that you’re going to make God do by your faith" mentality to understanding the sovereignty of our God. What we don’t want to take place in anybody’s mind is an approach to sovereignty that negates faith and the apprehension of the promises of God in our daily lives, and in things that affect the kingdom; because things are effected for the kingdom–God effects things on behalf of the kingdom–primarily through prayer and faith of the church. He is the source of the faith. He is the origin of the prayer; but we are the vessels through which these things are administrated. Prayer is the privilege of accessing God’s presence. Prayer is the privilege of accessing God’s presence. That’s why we pray. Why do we pray? If God is sovereign, if God is omniscient, if things are going to happen, why do we pray? We pray for us. We pray for the privilege of drawing on the presence of God, of being able, in the midst of this, to come to an understanding of what God’s doing so that we can confidently walk in the path that we’re on. Abraham was able to walk by faith not knowing where he was going, but he was walking based upon a visitation of God. Because of prayer, he was confident that there was going to be further direction, further intervention in this, even though he didn’t have it all revealed momentarily. That is why we pray.

The Scripture makes it very clear to us that men ought always to pray and not to faint. We pray for one reason; we were told to pray. I think this is something that’s very, very important for us to understand. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we’re to pray without ceasing. That doesn’t mean 24 hours a day ejaculating all of these words toward heaven and we’re just bombarding heaven 24 hours a day, words just coming out of our mouth constantly. That is not what that is talking about. "Men ought always to pray and not to faint;" we’re to "pray without ceasing" is talking about an attitude of constant dependency. We are always, always to be in communion with Father. Ready to hear; ready to respond to that still, small voice; ready at any moment to cry out to the Lord for His wisdom, for His direction, for His deliverance–and not to look to the arm of the flesh. Pray always. The first thing that ought to come out of your mouth is access of God’s presence and promises. Anytime you find yourself in any situation, to be able to breathe that prayer, "Father, give me wisdom;" "Lord, what do I do now?" "Lord, help!" "Father, I need that peace in this situation." Whatever it might be, praying without ceasing. Never looking to another source is what we’re looking for in this Thessalonians passage. It’s very important for us to understand those things.

Look over there at Thessalonians for just a second if you didn’t turn over there. In this particular passage in Thessalonians 5, as the apostle is speaking to us, you’ll notice that this little sequence, starting at verse 16, these little phrases: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks…" What do you see here? We see an attitude, don’t we? "Quench not the spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And [if you do these things] the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." We find that praying without ceasing is in an attitude of rejoicing and in everything giving thanks. If you’re not consciously aware of the presence of God through prayer, then you’ve lost your joy. You’ve lost the appreciation of being able to access God. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ.

We need to realize, beloved, that prayer is a privilege. It’s not drudgery. It’s not something we have to do. Prayer should never in our lives be formalized. There is no one posture. There is no one method of praying. You don’t have to sweat bullets while you’re praying. But there will be times when prayer is going to be more effectual and fervent. So it can’t always be some type of just a laid back approach either. Prayer is dictated by the spirit and by the circumstances. You’ll see, and where I make that statement, of course, is based upon the life of Jesus where it says, "and he prayed more earnestly." There are times when we are going to be more earnest in our praying. That doesn’t mean more sincere; it just means that we are going to, at this particular time, in having to battle with the circumstances around us, realize that what we’re being faced with here is life and death. All of us that have faced those things pray differently about life and death than we do whether or not we want sprinkles on our ice cream cone. (You don’t pray about that?) We realize, then, that as the Scriptures speak to us concerning this great privilege of petitioning God, these are some of the things that surround us and that we have to understand concerning prayer. It’s the commandment of God.

When you look at that eighteenth chapter of Luke and just meditate on it: "Men ought always to pray" and don’t faint; don’t cave in. Prayer will keep you from quitting. If you’re ready to quit, then you have not been accessing the presence of Father that’s been so freely afforded you by the blood of Jesus. Not to pray is to devalue the blood of Jesus, because it’s that blood that gives us the bold access. You can’t enter into the presence of God but through the blood of Jesus. So not to pray is to devalue the blood. An invitation, and our response is, "No thank you. Not interested." When we begin to understand that that is really how the Lord views prayer, we have to put another value upon it. We understand very clearly that those commandments have been set forth and Jesus said over in John 16, if you’ll look over there just as we continue in this introduction. In John 16:24, He says, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." He begins to show us again the privilege of accessing the Father because of the relationship to His name, to the work of regeneration, redemption that’s affecting itself. We, of all people, are so privileged because the ears of the Lord, the Scripture says, are open to cry of the righteous, but a sinner He won’t hear. What a privilege! God doesn’t hear sinners. There are a lot of praying sinners, and God doesn’t hear them. The only thing God will hear from a sinner’s prayer is a prayer of repentance. That’s it. Now, there is another god who can hear their petitioning who will respond to keep their eyes darkened and scales upon them into thinking possibly that they’re somehow accessing God. But the Scripture makes it very clear that His ears aren’t open to the unrighteous, but to the righteous. We begin to see that what we participate in is very unique; it’s not for all men.

As He says in the classic passage in Matthew 7, verse 7–and this will be the end of our little introduction–where He says, "Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." We find that in this passage the one word, I think, speaks volumes. Ask. The Scripture says that you have not because you ask not. A lot of us are pretty good at asking. The problem is that most times we ask for the wrong things. So we’ll be talking about praying according to the will of God, knowing what to pray for, and how to pray. Right now I think it’s so important that we just again refresh ourselves in understanding and knowing that God wants you to access Him through the blood of Jesus Christ, to be able to cry out and petition Him for every need of our lives, no matter what it is. There is nothing too great; there is nothing too small. Everything, everything, beloved–without ceasing–in everything, the Scripture says, we’re to access Him first. Seek Him early while He may be found. That doesn’t mean get up early in the morning and wake God up, be the first guy in line. When you are seeking Him early and while He may be found–if you don’t seek Him early; if you go to all other type sources, then you may not find Him when you get to His number if He’s down on the list. Seek Him while He may be found; seek Him first; seek Him early. He will not, He will not share His glory with any of your gods, whatever they might be–medical science, financial institutions, support groups. I didn’t say any of those things in and of themselves were wrong. I said to seek Him first. If you don’t seek Him first, then you’re going to have to depend upon those things alone. It’s so important, beloved, to make Him the source of our lives.

One of the other things that we’re going to spend some time on–and actually we’ll finish the introduction with this–that’s so important that I want to spend some time on is the "if it be Thy will" prayer. We’ve heard teaching–and some almost to the extreme of blasphemy–of talking about "if it be Thy will" not only being anti-faith, but also being anti-Christ in some of the teachings. I understand the premise behind this and I know that a lot of the proponents of this, of course, have taken it to excess. I know that the motive started by trying to just encourage people to believe God, but I think it’s probably because of a misunderstanding of what that "if it by Thy will" really means in the prayer of petition of our Lord and His example in the midst of the agony of the garden. The prayer was, "If it be possible, let the cup pass." There is your petition. He’s seeking God and saying, "I’m in pain. I prefer not to go this way. I don’t want to have to take this sin upon Myself, in the natural. There is nothing pleasant about this." You see, if the Lord hadn’t prayed that way, then wouldn’t we question His humanity? If the Lord didn’t pray that way, then the argument of a lot of the skeptics would really be true. A lot of the people say, "Jesus was never tempted. He was deity. This was a piece of cake for Him." They don’t understand all of the inner workings, the dynamics of the incarnation and how really beyond comprehension the totality of divinity and humanity could exist in one entity. Simultaneously, totally God and man is beyond our comprehension. Nevertheless, that’s what the Scripture says was effecting itself in the life of Jesus. In the midst of this, when He was crying out–He was agonizing just like you and I would–touched with the feelings of our infirmities, having been tempted in all ways such as we are, the Scripture says, and yet without sin; the perfect model for you and me to follow; the One who said, "Father, I know that when I pray You hear me." Isn’t that exciting? We can say that today: "Father, I know when I pray in the name of Jesus you hear me." That’s comforting.

We have so many people say, "I just don’t understand. I prayed and I asked God and nothing happened." Yes, something happened. It may appear to be nothing to you, but it’s eternal in its scope from God’s perspective, because when you prayed in the name of Jesus in faith as a child in right standing, God heard you. That’s the confidence we have. Listen. That is what’s being said in "nevertheless, not my will, my perception, my comprehension, but Thy will be done. I know You’re doing something. Here’s what I would like. Here’s what my limited scope perceives, but I know You’re in charge of this situation." That’s all that "thy will be done" is saying to us; and it’s probably the most important part of prayer because that, beloved, is what really speaks toward the dependence on God. The dependence on His sovereignty, the dependence upon His omniscience. Because every time, every time, you and I pray, we are praying from a limited perspective. We think we know; we think we see, but it’s limited. What you see may be what’s real, but it’s limited in its scope and you don’t see all of the ramifications of that prayer being answered the way you thought it should have been answered.

When we pray and we petition God, God knows we’re speaking from a limited perspective. He factors all of that in, so don’t be afraid to pray. Don’t be afraid to put in your two cents. "God, the best I can tell..." Can you imagine? The funny part is when we come and start informing God: "God, did you see what he did?" "Yeah." He did, but we want to go inform God as to what’s going on, who’s doing what, who’s not doing what, what I need, what I see, what I think. God wants that; He wants that communion with you. Sometimes it might just be so that we would verbalize it and see how stupid it is. Have you ever caught yourself praying and said, "Oh forget that one, Lord. Back to the drawing board." We have this access and Father wants us to access Him and wants to hear our heart’s cry. He’s touched, beloved, with the feelings of our infirmities. He wants you to come to Him and cry out and to be able to bare your heart and understand the true intimacy that’s been afforded us by the blood of Jesus. That’s what I want to talk about a little bit tonight.

Turn to the book of Hebrews, chapter 4. In Hebrews, beginning at verse 9 of this fourth chapter–of course you know the context. We’re coming out of the unbelief of Israel and it says that the great error of Israel (chapter 3, verse 10) is that they haven’t known His ways. I think that’s one of the things that we get ourselves into. We are in a situation where many times our petitioning is out of the will of God, we’re not knowing God’s ways, and it requires then for you and me sometimes an experience of wilderness, of chastening or whatever it might be. But he basically is admonishing them in verse 12 to take heed that there is not found in any of them an evil heart of unbelief and in their departure from God into their dependence upon the natural. That’s basically what was happening. They wanted to go back to Egypt; they wanted to do it in the arm of the flesh. The whole context is in verse 15 saying, "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Are you going to hear the voice of God or not? Are you going to harden your hearts to the will of God, or are you going to access His presence, say, "Here am I, Lord, send me. Not my will; Thy will be done," and as the children of Israel lied at Sinai, "Whatever You say, we will do it"? That’s what He is looking for in our lives. Because they wouldn’t hear, because they wouldn’t depend upon God and access Him, they didn’t enter in because of this unbelief or their "unpersuadableness."

Then he comes down into the fourth chapter and he talks about, in verse 9, the fact that there is a rest. Verse 7 says, "To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God." (verse 9) The rest comes when you cease from your own works. Those who come to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who what? Diligently seek Him. It doesn’t just mean how many hours a day. It’s talking about, again, how diligent we are or how dependent we are in the seeking. The diligence is not how many hours, but how reliant are we, because unless faith is involved, all of this is meaningless. For without faith can you please God? No. All faith is, is what? Reliance, assurance, dependence. That’s what faith’s all about.

So as he’s speaking to us here about accessing God, he says, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God" (verse 9). The rest is ceasing from your own works. Now let us labor to rest, is what he says in verse 11. "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest." The word "labour" there is interesting. Again, it talks about diligence; it talks about obedience; it talks about the study and understanding of the purposes of God. So the more we know about God’s heart, the easier it is to rest. We get antsy when we don’t really know what’s going on. But when you know God, when you know God’s heart, when you know how He’s going to respond in this situation even though you can’t see it with your natural eye, but you know by conscience intuitively who your Father is, how He’s going to respond because He always does. He doesn’t change, you know Him by experience; you know Him by revelation of the Word of God–and therefore in these things you can rest–here’s what God is going to do. Over the years, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just told people, "Look, here’s what God is going to do: if you do this, He’s going to do that. If you do this, He’s going to do that." "How do you know? Are you getting a Word from the Lord?" "Yeah, I got a Word from the Lord (holds up Bible)." I know what God is going to do because He’s the same. He doesn’t change. He responds the same way always to faith. He responds the same way always to haughtiness. He responds the same way always to humility. All you have to do is identify where the people are and what they’re trusting in and you’ll be able to very easily see what the circumstances are going to be following the course they take, the decision they make. But if we, beloved, will labor–study, diligently pursue, draw nigh unto God as He then draws nigh unto you, as you humble yourself before the mighty hand of God–we understand, then, that when There is that dependence, He is going to raise us up. That’s the promise. That’s how we access God and that’s the rest that we move in.

You can tell right now–whatever things you’re dealing with in your lives right now, we’re all dealing with stuff just continuing in this pilgrimage–how antsy are you? Or are you at rest? If you’re at rest, the rest proves that you have already accessed God, you have ceased from your own labors; you are waiting, resting for the manifestation of the will of God with absolute dependence. Look at the consequences of resting: you’ve put your trust in the fact that the Word is alive and powerful. See verse 12? "For the word of God is quick, and powerful…" It’s because I have studied, I have labored, I have come before God not on a whim, but having understood the Scriptures; having before I came to petition Him not on a whim, before I came to petition Him, I’ve determined what His will is. Because we all know that the primary requisite is what? If you ask anything according to My will, I will hear you, I will answer, I will provide rest, I will bring deliverance. The Word is alive; it’s powerful. What are we saying? That it has already come–look what it does–divides between soul, spirit. Soul being what? What’s the soul comprised of? Emotion, intellect, and will. The Word comes and says, "Is this an emotional response? Are you coming to Me emotionally? Are you coming to Me intellectually? Are you coming to Me out of your own will–do you have your own agenda you’re trying to run through?" The Word has already discerned all of those things. It divides between the soul and the spirit. It knows what the thoughts and the "intents of the heart" are. So we have already been judged by the Word of God before we come to prayer, just in our daily communion, in the seeking of that rest. How many of you know you can’t rest until you’ve been in the presence of God, you’ve looked at, you’ve studied the Word of God, you’ve come into His presence with His will and say, "Okay, I see it now" and now you can rest. Until then, you’re running around like a flea on a hot brick, trying to make things happen and worried about this and bummed about this and hostile about this. You just need to find out what God said He’s going to do in this situation and rest and petition Him for His will to be done. As we’re looking at these things, the Word, then, is working in our lives and verse 12 says it’s the "discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." So many times people think they’re going to con God with all of those foxhole prayers, the good intentions, "Lord if you get me out of this one, I’ll serve You." What are the intentions? We don’t pray that way necessarily, but the flesh is prone toward it.

He goes on and says in this that if you’ll first subject yourself to the cleansing, the searching of the Word of God and understand that He is going to discern the thoughts and the intentions and that "Neither there is not a creature that is not manifest in His sight: [verse 13 says,] but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him…" Why don’t you just ’fess up? When you come, why don’t you just tell the truth? "Father, I’m afraid;" "Father, I’m ticked off." He knows. But He says what you have to understand is this–you might as well ’fess up, your heart is going to be revealed, but God is not going to respond to you based upon anything in the natural, but through "the great high priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession [of faith, or your confession of the finished work in Christ]" (verse 14). For this high priest that we have is one that can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities and "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (verse 15). You’ll never petition anything of Father in the name of Jesus that He hasn’t already experienced and paid for.

When we realize that, verse 16, we are able to "come boldly unto the throne of grace." The word "boldly" there doesn’t mean with arrogance; it doesn’t mean we storm the throne, but it does speak of a freedom or a liberty to be able to come in. There is that access for the children. It doesn’t matter who you are. You can be a king, you can be some kind of financial mogul; you can be the president of the United States or whatever. The children have access. There is a boldness there. When you walk in, the kids don’t jump up and (Pastor hums the tune to "Hail to the Chief"). They’re not impressed. To them, you’re Dad. It’s very interesting, and it’s not–you say, "That’s disrespectful. Just call me ‘Mr. President.’" No. There is no higher calling than Dad. When we access our Father, it’s not, "Great, holy, omnipotent One…" That is not the highest title from His children–it’s Abba. We know He’s the great, holy omnipotent One; and He’s our Dad. We have a right to be there. He wants us there. He would rather talk to us than Gorbachev. We realize that that access, that boldness speaks of a cheerful liberalness to be able to come in. We don’t come in cowering down. We understand that He wants us. Parents, you know how it is when you see your children. You delight to see them; you love to see them. We realize that also this boldness speaks of a confidence. This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything in His name, He will do it. This is the confidence, then, that we have through the very access of relationship.

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (verse 16). It’s very important that we don’t just skim over these words. They are so familiar to us. Why do you come in petition to the throne of grace? You need mercy! I’m not just dropping by to say, "Hi." I need something. "Men ought always to pray." (Luke 18:1) How many of you think that maybe we don’t pray enough? How many of you need more mercy than you’ve been accessing? Just stop and look where you are; that’ll answer that question. He says that as we come, as we access Him it’s for the purpose of obtaining mercy. Justice? Mercy. Rights–what’s due me? Mercy. Did any of you ever get an allowance growing up? Allowances, I always thought, were kind of interesting. An allowance really was basically child labor–if it was based upon, "If you cut the lawn and vacuum the house and do the dishes, you get a quarter." We never got to those high amounts of money, but as I got a little bit older, then I didn’t have an allowance. My father gave us on an "as need" basis, and he made it very clear it wasn’t on an "as want" basis. We did different things as kids, you know, if we were going to take the car out and go cruising, we’d go out during the day and round up all the Coke bottles. You could round them up and you got two cents for a Coke bottle, and for the big ones you got a nickel. It was kind of cool, because for about fifty cents, you could cruise all night. Go down and buy gas. I remember when gasoline was nineteen cents a gallon. You had a little old clunker, a little six cylinder with a two-barrel on it. Put fifty cents of gas in that baby and you were cruising. So we were kind of independent. We got our own fifty cents. We were ready to roll. There is that delight of independence in us. Even if you were working for an allowance, there was the esteem of "I earned that nickel." As I got a little bit older, my father wouldn’t allow my brother and me to work, because our job was playing. You would play and you would participate in this event and in that event and that’s what you did. Since there wasn’t any work, we weren’t able to do what some of the other kids could do. They were out working and they would get this and they would get that. It was an "as need" basis and when there was something we felt we needed, "Hey, Dad, can we have this?" or whatever. As needed, he would minister that to us. It taught a lot–not knowing then, but it taught a lot about dependence and the fact that you really aren’t earning anything, that it was graciousness, it was mercy that was being met to you. It was a choice. I could have gone out and worked, gone contrary to the plan that was set forth for us, but if we were going to operate in this mode, it was on a dependence mode. I’ll never forget on my thirteenth birthday the gift that I received. I still have it. On my thirteenth birthday, I got a baseball glove and that glove (that was what? 1960? 1959? Somewhere in there) and it cost fifty dollars. It was the same type glove they were playing with in the major leagues. My father worked a night job for months to pay for that glove because that’s what he wanted me to have. It fit into the scope of things. He had a plan for our lives. He never told us; he just told us for the moment, "Don’t worry about working. Go work out." Father has a plan for our life, and the price has been paid. The sacrifice was made, and what you get is mercy. You don’t deserve it. You didn’t earn it. It’s far beyond anything you could comprehend and I think that’s what accessing the throne is somewhat like. We don’t know the eternal plan, but we come at a moment of need and we say, "Lord, this is apparently what my need is," and He gives exceeding abundant above anything that we could ask or think.

"And find grace to help in the time of need." (Hebrews 4:16) Look at the two words that are used here: mercy and grace. When we’re talking about one of the key passages of Scripture on accessing the presence of God, two words are emphasized: mercy and grace. Not faith, not character, not method of access, grabbing the horns of the altar; mercy and grace in the time of need. The thing that’s outstanding is that last phrase. Look at this. When you come before Him boldly with cheerful dependence, you will find grace in the time of need. You’re not going to go away empty handed. You will receive–listen, I’m not saying the circumstances will change–you will receive sufficient grace to help us in this time of need. Whatever it might be. You’ll either receive the infusion of faith to speak to the mountain and watch it cast into the sea; you’ll receive the gift of faith to where you can speak to the dead and see them rise, cast out a devil, whatever it might be; or you’ll receive the grace of God that’ll allow you to sleep in the back of the boat or to be able to sleep in the lion’s den. Whatever type of faith is needed, grace will supply it in need. What do we do, beloved, in these times of need? Do we get depressed? Do we run and depend on the arm of the flesh? Or do we access the throne of a loving Father who said, "I’ll never leave you nor forsake you. I’m touched with the feelings of your infirmities. If you’ll come boldly into My presence, you will obtain grace." If you come, you must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him. Don’t just sit there and say, "Whatever will be." Study, labor to enter into that rest. Find out what God is saying about your circumstance and then profess it. Speak and say, "Father, I understand. This is the Word of God in these circumstances, and I thank You, Father, that for the best I can understand I’m asking You for this, Father. I’m asking You in the name of Jesus. I’m asking You to heal my baby. In the name of Jesus, Father, we’re asking You right now. Lord, You know the financial pressure we’re under and the needs that we’re in. We’re asking You, Father, for that opportunity here, whatever it might be, in this vocation." You don’t always have to postscript with that phrase "nevertheless, not my will." If you come in with this attitude of rest, if you come in with the true biblical boldness–not arrogance, but confidence, a cheerful dependence, the assurance that grace is going to be imparted–then you’re moving in a faith that will move mountains.

Father, make it a reality in the name of Jesus. Cause us, Father, to come in total dependence on Your promises to us. That we would come and speak what You speak concerning life’s circumstances. Father, that You’ve determined for us victorious lives. You’ve said, You’ve declared it, Lord, that You’ve given us exceeding great and precious promises that we can draw upon, Father. You’ve given us a divine assurance and confidence that as the sons of God and heirs with Christ that there is privilege to be conquerors in all of these things. You’ve sent us to conquer for Your glory and for the kingdom’s good and for the eternal perspective. Father, let us come after having been cleansed by the Word of God and judged with the living Word and the thoughts and the intentions of our heart having been sorted and revealed to us, and then let us come boldly and speak, "Father, from my perspective, here’s what I see and I’m asking You, Father, make me understand. Father, cause these circumstances to be affected by Your presence that would bring the most glory to You. I’m asking You, Father, be glorified. I’m asking You, Father, destroy my enemies. I’m asking You, Father, raise the dead. I’m asking You, Father, heal the sick. Father, I’m asking You to deliver this tormented mind from the demonic powers in the name of Jesus so that You might be glorified. Father, I’m asking You for a boldness to represent You on the job tomorrow like I’ve never represented You before. I know it’s Your will that I go into all the world and preach the gospel. I’ve been touched, Lord, as I’ve lifted up my eyes and seen the fields white unto harvest. Father, send forth laborers. Here am I; send me." This is the confidence that we have, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us; and we know that if He hears us, whatsoever we ask then we know that we have the petitions that we’ve desired of Him. We believe it, Father. Make it real, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Let’s stand before the Lord. Just begin to rejoice in the Lord and thank Him for His presence. Know that He hears us when we pray. Just begin to delight yourself in Him. Thank Him for the access by the blood of Jesus tonight. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In everything give thanks; it’s the will of God concerning us. Rejoice evermore. We delight, Father, the access provided for us. We come, Father, boldly. We come in absolute dependence, Lord. Not knowing, we ask You to reveal Your heart to us. Help us, Lord, as we become more confident in knowing You through the Word of God and through the times of intercession and communion. Are you hurting tonight? "Obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need." "Yeah, but I tell you, I’ve blown it. I haven’t prayed and I haven’t studied and I’ve been so depressed and I’ve been bummed out and I’ve been mad and I’ve been carnal." He didn’t say to come and get it by merit, He said, "Obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the time of need." Oh, Father, I need mercy and grace. I’m here because of the blood of Jesus and I’m here depending upon You, and I ask You, Father, touch this body; deliver this tormented mind; infuse me, Lord, with a boldness. Father, help my unbelief. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. I just want to glorify You. I just want You glorified in my life, Lord. Help me, Father, to enter into that rest. Lord, I’m so caught up in my own labors. I need to cease. I’d rather die depending on You than live in my own strength. I’m not talking about foolishness or presumption. I’m talking about having done all. Making sure that your total dependence is upon Him. You don’t have to lie down under sickness when He’s told us that by the stripes of Jesus we’re healed. "Well, the will of the Lord be done." It may not be God’s will. Have you prayed? Have you believed God to heal you? Have you humbled yourself to access Him and maybe have revealed to you that if it remains how God is being glorified? Maybe it’s there because of unbelief. Maybe it’s chastisement. Most likely, it’s just because we’re in this world, but you need to find out what’s going on. You need to speak toward Him and thank Him for the privilege of healing and the understanding that glorifies Him.

Let’s sing it together and just thank Him for His presence tonight. "In the presence of Jehovah..."

Just draw on that presence. Let Him bring that peace tonight. We thank You, Father. In the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Glory. Glory. Just worship Him now as you’ve come boldly into His presence. Just worship Him and let Him minister to you and obtain grace tonight to help in the time of need. Hallelujah. Father, we worship You and we thank You for the goodness that You’ve bestowed upon us. Lord, we thank You for the privilege of access. We thank You for the mercy that You’ve extended to us. Help us to ever be grateful, Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We worship You, Lord. Thank You. Just worship, just praise Him, just commune with Him. Let Him touch your hearts tonight. Don’t get in a hurry to go anywhere. Just receive the ministry of the Holy Spirit and be made whole. What do you need tonight? Just obtain the mercy. Thank You, Lord, I receive the free gift. Hallelujah. Lord, we seek Your face. You’ve said of those who come to You that You wouldn’t turn any away. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You’ve said, Lord, if we would draw nigh unto You, that You’d make up the gap. Our hearts are turned toward You, Lord. We need you tonight. Without You we can do nothing, Lord–hopeless, helpless. Thank You for the grace. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Father, we come and we obtain that mercy in this hour. Lord, in this hour of lawlessness, the hour of the spirit of iniquity. We obtain the grace, Lord, to stand. We obtain the grace to see where others are being blinded. We obtain, Lord. We ask for and obtain the mind of the spirit. Our cry is, "Let this mind be in [me] that was in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 2:5) One desire, Lord, to know You. To know You. To feel with Your heart. Lord, to choose with Your mind. That’s our desire, Lord. That’s what we petition You for. I want to know You. I want to know You, Lord. It’s all vanity. It’s all vexation, Lord. But in Your presence, there is perfect peace. We thank You for it, Father, in Jesus’ name. Hallelujah. Thank You. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody and say, "Enter boldly." Go in peace. God’s love go with you.

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