Prayer and The Throne of Grace

Sorry for the delay in posting. Things are really crazy here. There hasn't been much progress on the flood damage due to the erratic showing up of some of the workers and the poor jobs they do once they show up. It is just overwhelming. It is hard to imagine but my rather cluttered house has reached new heights of clutter and we are all really at a loss for what to do next. Please pray for this situation - it is hard to continue to live this way - and we've been like this since the end of March.

I see Dr. Brooks again tomorrow - He is concerned that the hernia will recur, so he is having periodic check-ups to make sure everything is still in place. There is a 2" lump in my abdomen that he needs to look at - I am not sure what it is, and my imagination is of course coming up with all kinds of diagnoses of this lump. I have a CT scan on July 11th and I see Dr. Berkowitz on July 18th. I also have to see the naturopathic doctor about how the supplements are working.

This morning when I was praying, I really appreciated that Lord's throne in the heavens is a throne of grace. I can have boldness to come forward to this kind of throne.

The verses in Hebrews talk about this throne and the One who sits upon it:

Hebrews 4:15-16:
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all respects like us, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come forward with boldness to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace for timely help.

Here are the wonderful footnotes from the Recovery Version Bible for throne of grace and mercy:

16-1 [throne of grace] Undoubtedly, the throne mentioned here is the throne of God, which is in heaven (Rev. 4:2). The throne of God is the throne of authority toward all the universe (Dan. 7:9; Rev. 5:1). But toward us, the believers, it becomes the throne of grace, signified by the propitiation place (the mercy seat) within the Holy of Holies (Exo. 25:17, 21). This throne is the throne of both God and the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). How can we come to the throne of God and the Lamb, Christ, in heaven while we still live on earth? The secret is our spirit, referred to in v. 12. The very Christ who is sitting on the throne in heaven (Rom. 8:34) is also now in us (Rom. 8:10), that is, in our spirit (2 Tim. 4:22), where the habitation of God is (Eph. 2:22). At Bethel, the house of God, the habitation of God, which is the gate of heaven, Christ is the ladder that joins earth to heaven and brings heaven to earth (Gen. 28:12-17; John 1:51). Since today our spirit is the place of God's habitation, it is now the gate of heaven, where Christ is the ladder that joins us, the people on earth, to heaven, and brings heaven to us. Hence, whenever we turn to our spirit, we enter through the gate of heaven and touch the throne of grace in heaven through Christ as the heavenly ladder.

16-2 [mercy] Both God's mercy and God's grace are the expression of His love. When we are in a pitiful condition, first God's mercy reaches us and brings us into a situation in which He is able to favor us with His grace. Luke 15:20-24 tells us that when the father saw the prodigal son returning, he had compassion on him. That was mercy, which expressed the father's love. Then the father clothed him with the best robe and fed him with the fattened calf. That was grace, which again manifested the father's love. God's mercy reaches farther and bridges the gap between us and God's grace.

God's mercy and grace are always available to us. However, we need to receive and find them by exercising our spirit to come to the throne of grace and contact our High Priest, who is touched with the feeling of all our weaknesses. By this word the writer of this book encouraged the wearied Hebrew believers to receive mercy and find grace for timely help, that they might be set upright (12:12).

The revelation I received was two fold - at least - that God's throne to us who believe is a throne of grace and that this throne of grace is accessible through my spirit which is God's habitation in me. Is this not so wonderful? In the midst of all the chaos in our environments, or in our thoughts or our emotions, we can exercise our spirit to come to the throne of grace to enjoy and fellowship with our wonderful High Priest who is touched with the feeling of all our weaknesses. What a mercy! That the Lord Jesus is not sitting on a throne of judgment for us today but a throne of grace and we can come to Him just as we are to get the supply of grace is too wonderful! Human language is just inadequate to express how marvelous this is.

This hymn is about our Wonderful High Priest:

1 Before the throne of God above
I have a strong, a perfect plea;
A great High Priest, whose Name is Love,
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

2 My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart;
I know that while with God He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

3 When Satan tempts me to despair,
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.

4 Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

5 Behold Him there, the risen Lamb!
My perfect, spotless Righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace.

6 One with Himself, I cannot die;
My soul is purchased by His blood;
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ, my Savior and my God.

So dear ones, my prayer is that today will be filled with much enjoyment of accessing our Wonderful High Priest Jesus, Whose throne is a throne of grace! Praise Him.

Joanne