"1-800-Pray"

“Jesus did not teach his disciples how to preach –
he taught them how to pray.” DL Moody

HEB 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

What an invitation given to us in this verse! What an opportunity! What a privilege!

A song writer once asked the question, "who am I that a King would bleed and die for . . .? May I add this, who am I that this same King would invite me to come to His throne to obtain mercy and find help...? I sometimes wonder if we as Christians realize the tremendous blessing and far reaching implications this has for us as believers to have access personally to The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I have accented the word personally for a reason.

There is a trend especially in some TV churches and ministries, to spend an enormous amount of time talking about God's power to answer prayer. The Christian is repeatedly told that God hears and answers the prayers of His people, which is true. The problem is, that having been told this the believer is not urged to come boldly to the throne himself but to call a 1-800 number where he will reach people who "know how to pray" and they will go to God on his behalf with his prayer requests.

There is nothing wrong with calling in and asking people to pray for you and with you - but I wonder how many of these people who call in realize they have just as much access and right to enter the Holy of Holies through prayer as the people they are talking to on the phone.

When Christ was crucified it says the veil in the temple was rent in two, and it was not replaced by an 800 number. It was not opened to allow certain "super" Christians to have access to God on behalf of the rest of us. It was opened for all believers young and old, those who are hurting, or struggling, those who need forgiveness, comfort, strength, or a friend. You have a Savior who can be touched , who can be approached, a Savior who invites you to come boldly to His throne to find mercy and grace to help in your time of need, and strengthen you in your daily walk with Him. "He's as close as the mention of His name", not the nearest phone.

Access to God is not knowing a number, it's knowing a person - JESUS CHRIST.