Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.
–Hebrews 4:16
The village was quiet since the enemy had invaded.
Some villagers had managed to flee, but many people stayed in their basements to keep out of the way of the foreign army. Natalie considered her seven living children and thought about her unborn child.
Her husband had recently been killed by a grenade as he returned home. Now it was up to her to keep the family safe, fed, and encouraged. Already she had lost a baby to crib death and a 12-year-old to tetanus. Her situation looked hopeless without her husband, the family’s provider.
The news came: they must escape today!
Natalie called her two older sons to her. They decided together to let the cow loose so she could forage for food, then take the horse and wagon with some hastily gathered provisions and flee for their lives!
Calling her loved ones around her, she prayed boldly to the God she had learned to trust: “Help us! Protect us! Lead us to where we should go!”
Months later after many dangerous experiences, Natalie and her children had made it through the war, arriving safely home. She hadn’t known the future, but she knew her God and had come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy to help in her time of need.
Prayer
Dear God, Please give me the ability to pray out of holy boldness rather than desperation. Please grant me the mercy and grace I need right now. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Reflection
What makes me hesitate to come boldly to the throne of grace? What mercy and grace do I desire from God today?