https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/draw-near-confidence

But our sin and covenant unfaithfulness must not make us stay away from Christ. Instead we must draw near to His throne. Christ has opened up the Holy of Holies to us through His death on the cross. We do not send Aaron into the holy place in our stead anymore. We can go in ourselves if we have been covered by the blood of Christ.

Not only must we draw near to Christ, we must draw near to Him in confidence. This does not mean that we come arrogantly demanding forgiveness as a right. We draw near in confidence not because of our own “rights” but because of the person and work of Christ. We are confident because God, who was not obligated to redeem us, nonetheless promises to forgive us if we submit to Christ. Drawing near in confidence means that we firmly believe God’s promise of grace in Christ.

https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/draw-near-to-the-throne-of-grace-with-confidence

Because he is alive, and in the presence of God with the sacrifice of the blood of the Son of God, and full of sympathy for his people, therefore two things:

1. 1. Verse 14b: “Let us hold fast our confession.”
   2. Verse 16: “Let us come draw near with confidence to the throne of grace.”

The confession is simply our unshakable hope (Hebrews 10:23) that God is for us and will work to bring us into his final rest and joy. Hold fast to that because you have a great High Priest.

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/confidence-to-approach-god-together

So what accounts for this confidence? How is it that people who sin in word and deed can be said to have objective confidence to enter the holy places, a confidence that doesn’t dissipate in the wake of personal sin and in the contemplation of the God who is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29)? The writer answers this question for us: “We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh” (Hebrews 10:19-20). Our confidence to enter is not based upon what we’ve done or not done but upon what Christ has done through the shedding of his own blood. Our confidence is based upon the work of Christ. It is Christ who “entered once for all time into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

Pg 34 Mercy and Grace

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/christian-terms/what-is-the-difference-between-grace-and-mercy.html

Mercy and grace are the utmost attributes of love. The essence of the Bible is loving God and loving people through the lens of Jesus Christ. Two grand works of God have displayed His all-powerful, gracious, and merciful nature: creation and redemption.

Mercy is the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favor. In His mercy, God does not give us punishment we deserve, namely hell; while in His grace, God gives us the gift we do not deserve, namely heaven.

Mercy is a compassionate love to the weak, and grace is a generous love to the unworthy. Humans are weak and unworthy – we all need God’s mercy and grace. Mercy takes us to the path of forgiveness, while grace leads us to reconciliation.

https://www.compellingtruth.org/mercy-grace.html

Both perfect mercy and perfect grace are found in Jesus Christ. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He has provided a way of escape or mercy from the consequences of sin (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). God has extended grace by providing salvation and proclaiming salvation to us through the Son, His teaching in Scripture, and through the Spirit of God at work among us. Hebrews 4:16 blends these two ideas in one powerful statement, teaching, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

https://bible.org/article/be-gracious

God’s grace and compassion are cited as of great importance in the Minor Prophets. Thus Joel in Joel 2:12-13 instructs his people to have “a total re commitment on the part of the whole populace … is reassuring for the believer to understand something of God’s character so as to be able to rely on his perfect response to any situation. God is consistent in his character: he is gracious and merciful, not easily angered, and full of kindness.”

May we, then, ourselves likewise follow the reassurance of Hosea’s charge to his people, “Say to him: ‘forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips’” (Hos 14:2). Thus Israel “was to come into God’s presence with heartfelt confession on their lips” … and “having repented and come to God with proper intentions, they were to petition God for forgiveness of their sins and guilt.”

Pg 36 Walk in the Light / Honesty

https://www.gotquestions.org/walk-in-the-light.html

To “walk” is, in short, to live one’s life. One’s lifestyle or way of life can be considered a “walk.” The word also indicates progress. Walking is related to growth; it is taking steps toward maturity. “Light” in the Bible can be a metaphor for life, happiness, righteousness, or understanding. The Bible is clear that light comes from the Lord God, the “Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). He is the opposite of evil. Putting it all together, “walking in the light” means “growing in holiness and maturing in the faith as we follow Jesus.”

https://bible.org/seriespage/19-walking-light-ephesians-57-14

Becoming a Christian is not so much a matter of adding Christ to your life as it is abandoning your life to find true life in Christ. And when one thus trusts in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the change is not small. It is a radical transformation. It is a change from death to life, from darkness to light. Paul’s words indicate that our calling as Christians should have a radical impact on our conduct. We will never be the same again. We should never think or act the same. Our thinking and our behavior after our conversion should compare to our former “walk” as though it were night and day. Anyone who thinks of salvation differently would seem to do a disservice to the teaching of our Lord, and of the Old and New Testament writers.

https://christiantoday.com/article/the-importance-of-being-honest-with-god/82093.htm

But without being honest with people, we prohibit ourselves from pursuing authentic relationships with others and with God. In the same way that we avoid being truthful with our friends, family members and any other people we engage with, because we’re afraid of any number of possible consequences of our openness, so too can we avoid being honest with God.  Sometimes we worry about fully opening up to God because we think he’ll get mad at us or we’re mad at him but we think we shouldn’t be so we try to steer clear of discussing it as this means we’ll have to accept and confront our emotions.

Our most powerful relationships are built upon trust, and it’s no different when we consider the one that we have with God. Often, a reluctance to speak honestly with God points to a lack of trust in him. We can fail to trust him to be just, to be forgiving or to be helpful when in fact he is all of these things. God wants us to come to him with everything that’s on our minds and even though we might not be able to see a way through, he always can. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

Chapter 3 Questions

Pg 34 The author poses this question……. “ How do I come to God with confidence when I am thinking the wrong things and I know I have the wrong attitude? “ What do we do?

Pg 35 “ How has God used the past and present difficulties of your life to lead you into a life of prayer?

Pg 36 Agree or disagree /discuss …. “Temptations are an appeal to meet righteous needs in an unrighteous way . “

Pg 38 How will you “ walk in the light” with each temptation of your life?

“ Purpose to let every point of temptation lead you into a conversation with God and trust Him to meet the deepest thirsts of your heart . “  – Bill Thrasher

Prayers offered in the name of Jesus have “divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV). Demolish! Not damage or hamper but demolish. Prayer falls on strongholds like lit matches on a grass hut.

Prayer slaps handcuffs on Satan. Prayer takes problems out of the domain of the devil and into the presence of God. Prayer confesses, “God can handle IT. Since He can, I have hope!”

When we pray in the name of Jesus, we come to God on the basis of Jesus’ accomplishment.

Since we have a great high priest [Jesus] over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. — Hebrews 10:21–22

The phrase “In Jesus’ name” is not an empty motto or talisman. It is a declaration of truth: My cancer is not in charge; Jesus is. The economy is not in charge; Jesus is. The grumpy neighbor doesn’t run the world; Jesus, You do! You, Jesus, are the Head Coach, CEO, President, King, Supreme Ruler, Absolute Monarch, High and Holy Baron, Czar, Overlord, and Rajah of all history.

Just speak the word, Jesus . . .

https://www.crosswalk.com/church/pastors-or-leadership/ask-roger/what-does-it-mean-to-pray-in-jesus-name.html

Praying in Jesus’ name means praying with His authority and asking God the Father to act upon our prayers because we come in the name of His Son, Jesus. Praying in Jesus’ name means praying in line with the will of God (1 John 5:14-15). 

https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/how-and-why-do-i-pray-in-jesus-name.html

The concept of praying in Jesus’ name is definitely biblical. The key text is John 14:13-14: “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” This concept is repeated a few more times in the John 15:16 and John 16:23-24.

Praying in Jesus’ name is less about including the phrase at the end of your prayer, and more about positioning your heart properly when you pray. Praying in Jesus’ name means that you are conscious of two primary truths as you bring your requests to God:

• 1. Acknowledgment of His Intercession
  2. Submission to His Will

Simply saying, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” does not necessarily mean you are bringing your request in submission to, and in alignment with, the will of God. Neither does it force Jesus to align his will to your request. And simply adding, “If it’s your will” to every request doesn’t necessarily mean we’re submitting either.

Praying according to God’s will is to pray in alignment with his character. It’s seeking to pray for things Christ would desire. It is praying in a way that views life from God’s perspective.

https://pastorrick.com/devotional/english/why-do-we-pray-in-jesus-name

Here’s the point: I don’t have any right to get answered prayers from God. I owe him a lot, but he doesn’t owe me anything. But when I come and ask God for requests, I don’t ask on my own merit. I come on the merit of Christ. I just say, “Father, I’m coming to you because your Son said so. I’m coming because of what Jesus Christ has already done for me on the cross. He’s promised that I can ask in his name, so that’s what I’m doing right now.”

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-name-that-opens-heaven

Praying in Jesus’s name is just one act among many in a whole life under the same banner: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus”  Colossians 3:17 

Five Reasons We Pray in Jesus’s Name

• • As human, he sympathizes with our weaknesses.
  • As a sufferer, he knows human pain.
  • As our sacrifice, he paid all we owed.
  • As our forerunner, he opened heaven for us.
  • As our priest, he brings us to God.

https://billygraham.org/story/twelve-ways-to-humble-yourself/

1. 1. Routinely confess your sin to God (Luke 18:9-14).
   2. Acknowledge your sin to others (James 3:2, James 5:16).
   3. Take wrong patiently (1 Peter 3:8-17).
   4. Actively submit to authority…the good and the bad (1 Peter 2:18)
   5. Receive correction and feedback from others graciously (Proverbs 10:17, 12:1)
   6. Accept a lowly place (Proverbs 25:6,7).
   7. Purposely associate with people of lower state than you (Luke 7:36-39).
   8. Choose to serve others (Philippians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 23:11
   9. Be quick to forgive (Matthew 18: 21-35).
   10. Cultivate a grateful heart (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
   11. Purpose to speak well of others (Ephesians 4:31-32)
   12. Treat pride as a condition that always necessitates embracing the cross (Luke 9:23).

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-daily-prayer/a-prayer-to-grow-your-confidence-in-god-your-daily-prayer-august-25-2016.html

Make no mistake. Our prayers are powerful not because of anything we do or who we are. Remember, we’re just the fuse. It’s because of who He is and what He can do. Therefore, we can approach Him with an honest, upright, and believing heart. Then God is eager to respond, doing what only He can.

https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/46266715-moving-mountains-how-you-god-and-prayer-can-change-things-for-good

“We have staked it all on this—that life wins. Oh, dear friends—life wins. Life wins. Sometimes now, especially if we will pray. But life wins fully, and very soon. Just as we must fix our eyes on Jesus when we pray, we must also fix our hearts on this one undeniable truth: life will win. When you know that unending joy is about to be yours, you live with such an unshakable confidence it will almost be a swagger. You can pray boldly, without fear, knowing that, “If this doesn’t work now, it will work totally and completely very soon.” We can have that kingdom attitude of Daniel’s friends, who said, “God is able to deliver, and he will deliver. But if not . . .” we will not lose heart. Period.” ― John Eldredge, Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence, and Authority

https://chapelhill.cc/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Confidence-in-Prayer.pdf

Because of our faith in Jesus, we have access to the very presence of God. As we confidently enter God’s presence, we can draw near to Him with full assurance and a clear conscience. We can pray with the confidence that God hears us and has an answer for us. However, we must remember that the key to praying with confidence is to ask according to His will. We find the will of God in the Word of God.

Chapter 2 Questions

•  Discuss what it means to “ pray in the name of Jesus”. Discuss any new insights from Chapter Two and the notes.

• How will knowing more about “ praying in Jesus’ name” change how you will pray.  Is it more than just an add-on at the end of a prayer now?

• Pg 30: What does “ humble yourself before God “ look like? 

• Look up these scripture and discuss with your group about having confidence when you come to prayer. Ephesians 3:12 , Romans 5:1-2 , Heb. 4:16 , I John 5:14.

• Pg 31:  “A believer in Christ has the awesome privilege of living for God’s name. “ How can your daily routine draw attention to Jesus? 

I Cor 10 :31  “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.“