Day 13: Bold Before the Throne of Grace
Bible passage: 1 Kings 18:30–39; Hebrews 4:14–16
Showdown on Mount Carmel
Today is Wednesday 13th of January 2021. Welcome to Day 13 of our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Last week we watched Elijah pray in private, in an upstairs room. Today we watch him pray in public.
There has been no rain for three years. The people of Israel cannot decide between the Lord and the idol Baal. On Mount Carmel, hundreds of prophets of Baal shout to their god from morning until evening, and nothing happens.
Then Elijah rebuilds the altar of the Lord with twelve stones. He has it soaked with water three times, until the trench around it is full. At the time of the evening sacrifice he steps forward and prays.
What Made Elijah Bold
He Knew Whose He Was
Elijah’s prayer takes only a few seconds to say. He calls on the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He asks God to prove that He is God in Israel, and that Elijah is His servant who has done all this at His command (1 Kings 18:36).
His boldness did not come from his personality. It came from knowing God and from acting on what God had said.
He Wanted God’s Glory
Elijah gives his reason for asking. He wants the people to know that the Lord is God, and that God is bringing them back to Himself (1 Kings 18:37). Bold prayer is not demanding our own way. It is asking for great things so that God is honoured and people come home to Him.
Fire Fell
The fire of the Lord fell. It burned up the offering, the wood, the stones and the dust, and it dried up the water in the trench. The people fell on their faces and cried out that the Lord is God (1 Kings 18:38–39).
Our Greater Confidence
A High Priest Who Understands
We have even more reason to be bold than Elijah had. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we have a great High Priest, Jesus the Son of God. He understands our weaknesses, because He faced every kind of testing that we face, and yet He did not sin (Hebrews 4:14–15).
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
There, the writer says, we will receive God’s mercy and find grace to help us when we need it most.
Confidence in Him
This is not confidence in ourselves. We do not come because we have prayed enough, fasted enough or behaved well enough. We come because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. For everyone who belongs to Him, God’s throne is a throne of grace.
Three Steps for Today
Come as a child. Drop the long apology at the start of your prayers. You are welcome in your Father’s presence.
Ask for something big. Ask for something that only God can do and that would bring Him glory. He is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
Ask for mercy too. Boldness includes bringing our failures. The throne of grace is the right place for them.
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You that I can come to You with confidence because of Jesus. Forgive me for timid prayers and small expectations. You are the God who answers. Show Your power in my life, in my family and in our church, so that people will know that You are God and turn back to You. I ask for mercy and for grace to help me today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Keep going
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