Acknowledgement of sin and our need for grace, drawn from Hebrews 4:16: "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." 

Father,  

We marvel that we, who once fled and hid from you in Adam and have spent lives denying you, are now given the great privilege of worshiping you, drawing near to you, and of approaching you with confidence. 

We know, Father, that our coming confidently before you is not due to anything that we can do or that we have done. We fail and fall short constantly, and there is no confidence attached to our natural state. 

Where once there was a tribunal of condemnation and a sentence of damnation, there is now a throne of grace that answers our cries for mercy. We rejoice that our confident approach is because of the excellency of Christ, who has interposed his blood on our behalf, and intercedes for us.  

We are daily in need of your mercy and grace, Father. We need your mercy in our sin, and your grace to purify our souls. Draw us closer to yourself, encourage us in our frailty, and save us from our good intentions. 

We need your grace as we struggle in relational conflicts and in our failing to love others as you have loved us. We plead your grace in the professional and financial stresses that cause us to doubt your provision. We see our great need for your mercy as we have looked upon some sins with delight, and as we have wounded our consciences by rationalizing our pursuit of self. We need your mercy in our times of personal comfort, when we have lost interest in looking to you. 

We rejoice that you, Father, do not forgive begrudgingly and in opposite measure to our sin. You call us to approach the throne of grace confidently because you delight in forgiving us completely, you have purposed to justify us permanently, and to glorify us ultimately. In Christ, our condemnation is cast into a sea that can never be crossed.  

May our time together this morning be a joyful celebration of your free grace in. May this week before us be one of discipleship and encouragement among us, calling us to approach your throne with confidence, recognizing our frequent need. 

This we pray in Christ’s name,