Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10.19-25
As we continue to pray through this week it is good to focus on the words of v.23.
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
It is too easy to become distracted when we pray. It is too easy, when we don’t see answers to our prayers immediately, to lose heart and even stop praying but prayer is much more than asking although it is not less than asking.
Yesterday we reflected on the relationship we have with God enabling us to approach him clean and with clear consciences and today we are urged Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Do we pray with hope? We have every reason to do so for as we were reminded earlier in the week, ‘…every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.’
As his children, God has his glory and our best interests at heart and so having brought us to birth through the word of truth our sure and certain hope is that he will work out his purposes through his church and bring many sons and daughters to glory.
Therefore as we pray today may it be with that sure and certain hope, and in humble acknowledgement of the one to whom we pray, and let us make sure that we pray in accordance with his will made plain in his Word.