Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)

In times of need, the Lord instructs us to come boldly unto the throne of grace so that we might find the mercy and favor needed to handle the situation. But what does it mean to come before the throne of grace, and how do we come there?

The imagery here is someone who approaches a King on his throne seeking the King’s favor on a matter of concern to them. There are four primary entities in this figure: the petitioner, the King on the throne of grace, the process of coming, and a problem that needs to be solved. As believers, we come before our Father, the great King, to find answers and solutions to the problems that challenge us.

The Father’s throne, contrary to the typical human throne, is described as the throne of grace. Imagine a petitioner coming before the throne of Nebuchadnezzar or Caesar; there is no telling what these human kings can do. However, our Father is a King of grace. In Christ, God has lavished grace upon us—we are sure of a favorable response as that of a father responding to the child. His throne has provisions for every need: healing for sick bodies, restoration for broken lives and homes, deliverance for the oppressed, financial provision for the needy, rivers of living water for the spiritually dry, etc.

So how do we come before this throne of grace to find the answers or solutions we need? The immediate temptation of our minds is to imagine a physical process of moving from one place to another, just as someone physically comes before a human king. However, we must recognize that the physical imagery does not suggest that coming before God in this verse is a physical process, where we move from one place to another where God is. This imagery is a metaphor that seeks to describe a spiritual process; the coming is not physical but spiritual.

Coming before God as believers is access to God with our requests to obtain answers and solutions. God does not hear every prayer. He only hears the prayer of the righteous, and that is you and me in Christ today. So not everyone has the privilege of taking requests or petitions to God. Instead, this right and privilege are restricted to God’s children. If a community or nation is in turmoil, it does not matter what a a million sinners who do not have a relationship with God are praying about. One child of God in that nation with access to God can turn things around because they can bring their petitions before God and obtain a response.

But how do we access or bring our petitions before God? Scripture shows us two principal devices—prayer and faith. The blood of Jesus already made the way for us( Hebrews 10:19). The prayer of petition brings our needs, desires, and wants before God. We must not take this privilege lightly. God responds to the desires of our hearts and the things we ask Him. God often puts His will into our hearts to become our will and desire and wants to pray them back to Him. God’s will that YOU do not desire or want makes little to no impact in your prayer. This is a critical truth in prayer and intercession. The second channel is faith, which can act during or outside prayer. Whenever we believe God for something, we access His resources and request His response. Paul described this remarkable process by which we access the throne of grace through faith in these words:

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2 KJV).

Furthermore, the Lord says we should not be shy or intimidated in prayer and faith when we come. We should come boldly. Do not be afraid that His holiness will kill you as the High Priests in the Old Testament had to be if they dare come in with sin. Christ, your High Priests, is standing at the right hand of that throne of grace, and He has overpaid for your sins. Also, when you believe God, do not waver, wondering in yourself if God will hear you or if you are worthy. Christ has guaranteed answers to our prayers. Come with the boldness of a toddler coming to the Father to ask what they want. Sadly, the “Christian religion” has messed up our childlike dependence on Christ—many believers now have many reasons( theological, doctrinal, social, family, personal, etc.) why God should not hear them. And that is our ruin. Take God for His Word. Come boldly as a child without fear, concerns, or worries.

We have access to the Father. We are the only ones on earth that can come to Him with requests, desires, and wants and receive an answer or get a response.

What does it mean to come to the throne of grace as in Heb. 4:16 above?

Apply the Word

Do you believe what you just read above? Would you come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain the favor and mercy to meet that physical, spiritual, financial, or family need?

Thank the Father for the privilege as His children to bring our requests to Him. 

Read & Watch

Coming into God’s Presence

The Desire and Power to Do What Pleases God

Boldness and Access with Confidence

When Religion Erodes Our Relationship with God

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