Today, we looked at another aspect of our identity as the people of God, having confidence. Confidence can sometimes appear to be arrogance, but confidence in God is not the same as self-reliance; it is the result of trusting God and having faith in Him.
We looked at three aspects of confidence:
- Confidence that we are accepted by God as we are
- Confidence that we can approach God without fear
- Confidence that God hears and answers our prayers
To be accepted as we are answers the need of every human heart for unconditional love. Romans 15:7 urges us to accept or receive others just as Christ has accepted or received us, and we see that He welcomed sinners, so there is hope for everyone of us! Whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), and so we can have assurance that He welcomes us and is for us. He knows all about us and still wants us! (Ps 139:1)
We can approach God with confidence, entering His presence boldly (Hebrews 4:16) because Christ’s sacrifice for us means we are brought near to God. (Ephesians 2:13) God speaks strength and encouragement to us as we come into His presence; He gives us mercy, grace and all the help we need. Even in impossible situations, God can make a way for us (as He did for Israel at the Red Sea or when faced by an Assyrian army too powerful for them.) (Ex 14-15, 2 Kings 19).
Sometimes, our feelings don’t align with God’s word; our hearts condemn us. (1 John 3:20-24) But although feelings are useful, they are not what we must live by. The truth of God’s word is that because we are accepted by God and can approach Him clothed in Christ’s righteousness, God hears and answers our prayers. (1 John 5:14-15) We need to learn to ask, seek and knock (Matt 7:7-8) and to persevere in prayer (Luke 18:1), so that we can pray big prayers in 2026 and believe that the God of the impossible will work on our behalf.