EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 05, 2026.
SUBJECT: APPROACH GOD BOLDLY IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
Memory verse: “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16 vs 24.)
READ: John 16 vs 23 - 24:
John 16:23: “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
16:24: Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
INTIMATION:
Prior to the coming of Jesus, people approached God through priests. The priest, during the Old Testament era, will go to the holy of holies once in a year to offer sacrifice for the atonement of sins of the people. But after He came and accomplished the task given to Him by the Father; the atonement for the sins of the whole world, ‘all authority was handed over to Him by the Father’ (Matthew 28 vs 18).
After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, any believer could approach God directly. A new day has dawned and now all believers are priests, talking with God personally and directly. We approach God, not because of our own merit, but because Jesus, our great High Priest, has made us acceptable to God.
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and those under the earth” (Philippians 2 vs 9 - 10). Jesus, consequently, gave us the power of attorney in the use of His name, and whatever we ask in prayer in His name will be given to us.
The Scriptures, in Hebrews 10 vs 19 - 23, say, "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful."
The Most Holy Place ("the Holiest ") in the temple was sealed from view by a veil. Only the high priest could enter this holy room once a year on the the Day of Atonement when he offered the sacrifice for the nation's sins. But Jesus' death removed the curtain, and all believers may walk into God's presence at any time.
To go right into the presence of God, we come not halfheartedly or with improper motives or pretence, but with pure, individual, and sincere worship. We can know that we have "a true heart" if we evaluate our thoughts and motives according to His Word. Believers can approach God boldly, free from our "evil conscience" and in full assurance because of the work of Jesus Christ.
We can go to God without doubting, knowing that He will hear and answer us under the new covenant, our hearts and consciences are cleansed completely, not partially or temporarily. Our clean consciences allow us to enter God's presence with boldness.
Finally, the imagery of our bodies having been "washed with pure water" actually pictures an inward cleansing. Just as baptism is an outward sign that represents the purification that Christ does inside us, so this washing speaks of an internal cleansing from sin. Once cleansed, we can approach God.
We have significant privileges associated with our new life in Christ: (1) We have personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to Him without an elaborate system; (2) we may grow in faith, overcome doubts and questions, and deepen our relationship with God; (3) we may enjoy motivation from one another; (4) we may worship together.
By virtue of what God has provided through Jesus, believers are to come to God with boldness. It is through faith in the blood of Jesus that we can confidently approach God. Our boldness is based on faith, not on the ceremonial performance of worship. We can have confidence that we will enter into heaven through the blood of Jesus because we have faith in the cross. Our confidence is based on our faith in the grace of God that was revealed through the sacrificial offering of the blood on the cross.
Jesus is the new and living way through whom we have access to heaven. Heaven is forever open to all those who would approach God through Jesus. Jesus continually works on our behalf in order to cleanse us of sin.
Prayer: Abba Father, You are so loving, and faithful, even in our unfaithfulness. Give me the grace to always ask in faith in the Name of Jesus, that I may receive, and my joy will be full, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!