Month: May 2024

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way which he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.”

Hebrews 10:19-20 (RSV)

This scripture has so much to say about confidence in prayer. We are reminded that there is a constant need to hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering. It’s all too easy to waver, and our mind is the usual battleground for confidence.

Paul tells us that we are soldiers, in a constant spiritual battle, and to be armed with helmet of salvation, shield of faith and sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

(Ephesians 6:11-17)

Today’s scripture takes us into a deeper understanding of the confidence we can have in prayer. It starts by wearing our spiritual armor. While we are holding a shield of faith in one hand, we have the sword of the Spirit in our other hand. These are foundational elements of what gives us confidence to conquer doubt. 

In the battleground of our minds, there are defensive and offensive weapons to rely upon. The sword is an offensive weapon that demolishes all arguments against God’s truth. Our trust in Jesus is our defensive shield of faith. When we are overwhelmed with fear and worry, we use both defensive and offensive spiritual weapons. 

In this battleground of our mind, as soldiers for Christ, we are to offensively take every thought captive that is contrary to His truth. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

It sounds like common sense, and we may practice all these things, until our thoughts become captive to a totally new worry. A new worry can throw us off so that we lose confidence or simply forget to pray. I experienced something like this last weekend. 

As I was in church I started having a periodic stabbing pain in my right temple. It was very distracting because it kept recurring every few minutes. I found myself thinking about it so much, that I didn’t hear the sermon at all. I wondered if I was having a stroke or a brain aneurysm, and soon my thoughts were held completely captive to fear and worry. 

Suddenly I realized, here I am, sitting in church, which is the sanctuary of the blood of Jesus, while obsessing over whether I may collapse in my pew or in my car on my ride home. Crazy thoughts had taken over my mind. Worry held my mind hostage and was starting to rob me of faith and hope. 

Then I caught site of the cross at the front of the church. Jesus, who shed His blood on that cross for me, seemed to be looking at me in that moment, reminding me that His blood has given me confident access  to ask anything in His name.

I found it amazing that I was sitting in His sanctuary for all those minutes, forgetting to pray and ask for healing. I finally took the confident access He gave me through His blood, and started to pray for healing and the pain went away soon after I received communion. 

The pain returned the next morning, and I again prayed, taking all my thoughts captive to Christ and applying His blood to all that I ask.

Jesus gave us confident access to God through the curtain of His flesh. We were meant to gain our confidence in prayer by faith in His blood.

That pain has not returned since. Faith is a battle of confidence within our minds, which is won after we keep applying the blood of Jesus to everything we ask for, without wavering.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

(Hebrews 10:23)

Confidence in prayer comes from the all empowering blood of Jesus. 

Whatever we are experiencing, the blood of Jesus empowers us to reclaim our peace by taking every thought captive to the obedience of His truth. The book of Revelation tells us that on the very last day, it is the blood of Jesus that overcomes all in the end. 

Lord, we pray in confidence, knowing that your precious blood has made a new and living way for us to take every doubtful thought captive to your truth. Help us to live in the power of your blood and receive all that you have promised us. Amen 

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Romans 8:26-27 (RSV)

It’s very frustrating to not be able to express in words whatever we are feeling. I imagine that’s how my son, Jon, and Andy, the other man in the Nursing Home, feel, since both of them are unable to fully express themselves in words, due to brain injuries. The Holy Spirit is still interceding for them whenever they pray in their mind or heart. 

The Spirit intercedes for all of us, not just brain injured people like Jon and Andy. This scripture says that none of us know how to pray as we ought, but it’s the Spirit who intercedes for us. He knows everything that’s in our hearts and He relates it to God with sighs and deep groaning, which is beyond any words we could say.

There is a deep place in all of us, where we file away our hopes, fears, disappointments and frustrations. The Holy Spirit can clearly read our deepest pain, insecurities, and our helplessness. He is God, so He can read the things that we are not even conscious of. The deepest groans within us, that may never rise to the surface, are brought to God by the Holy Spirit, when we pray. 

The New Testament term for the Holy Spirit is “Paraclete”, a word which translates to being our advocate, champion, supporter and promoter. It also means He is the one who pleads our cause. The Paraclete brings us so much positive power and hope, and His help is the most encouraging support we have.

The term advocate, reminds us of a defense attorney. When we don’t know how to plead for ourselves, the Holy Spirit stands beside us and becomes our attorney. He helps us in our weaknesses, since His nature is to be our supporter. He promotes us and pleads for us. In other words, He is our champion. 

He not only pleads for us, but He also prompts us to listen to His soft voice. He prompts us to confess our faults, and to say we are sorry when we do wrong. Most of all, He prompts us to forgive those who have done wrong to us. 

Two years ago my neighbor became so angry at me because my dog peed on her bushes. She called me up scolding and berating me in every way she could think of. We didn’t speak to each other for months, after that. 

I eventually prayed and forgave her, but couldn’t reconnect with her because whenever I walked by, she would look away. 

One day I prayed and asked God, if He would let me face her without her looking away, I would offer to invite her to go out to dinner so that we could reunite. After I prayed that prayer, that very night, she texted me and apologized. She asked if we could reconnect, and we did. Now we get together for dinner every few months. 

The Holy Spirit really did the prompting between us that day after months of not speaking. There is no other explanation except that the advocate pleaded for us both. 

He may prompt us in our weakness, to forgive or to call someone or speak to someone, at a needed moment. He also prompts us to give a gift or to say a kind word to someone, which may change their life.

As we approach Pentecost Sunday, we can meditate on and appreciate the great gift of the Holy Spirit, who pleads for us, supports us, and is our champion, doing what our own words fail to do. He was sent from the Father and the Son, to teach, guide and comfort all of us, who are His beloved children, the church. 

Lord, thank you for sending us the Holy Spirit, our helper who pleads and intercedes for us and champions every cause, in order to make us more like you. Amen