The Key to Praying Boldly & with Confidence - Understanding Your Identity in Christ

Do you know who you are in Christ? Do you realize who you are without Him?

Recently, I've been reminiscing about the places God has rescued me from. Wounds He's healed,  dark thoughts and addictions He freed me from, and painful situations He carried me through. When I think of all he's done it reminds me of how unworthy I am on my own and how worthy He is of my all. 

A New Identity

Those memories bring me to my knees. How could God love and welcome me with open arms? Pursue me when I willfully turned the other way? Because that’s who He is. Jesus loves us unconditionally. When we finally surrender to His love He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve. On our own, we’re unworthy beggars before him, but through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, we're extended an invitation to God’s table. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done. Once we’ve put our faith in Christ we’re no longer beggars asking for crumbs, we’re heirs seated at His table. 

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:16-17

Beggars vs. Heirs

An heir can be defined as a person who inherits or is entitled to inherit the rank, title, position, etc., of another. As Christian, we not only inherit the Kingdom of God and Eternal life, we also receive the title of Children of God. That title isn’t superficial. It comes with power and authority.

Do you realize that? Do you pray and live like that? Heirs are confident in their inheritance. They walk in the power and authority that comes with the title. We are heirs to the Kingdom of God, a kingdom that cannot be shaken and that darkness will not overcome. It’s not enough to know about your identity in Christ, you have to live it out.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

Once during my devotion time, God showed me that many of us have the mentality of a beggar. We pray, hoping God will hear us instead of being confident that He does. As a result, we ask for the bare minimum, scraps of what we truly desire. The King of kings is our heavenly Father. Nothing is too hard for him, and everything in the earth is His. Yet often, our prayers don’t reflect that. When you grasp who God is and who you are in Him, it changes the way you approach His throne through prayer. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to approach God’s throne with confidence. Some translations say, “Let us come boldly”. There is no need to be timid, doubtful, or afraid because God is on our side.

Related Post: 5 Things to Consider For a Deeper Prayer Life

Confidence Comes From Knowing God

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Romans 8:32

Heirs ask for what they want with confidence. This isn’t about entitlement or confidence in who we are. It’s about confidence in God. I’m not promoting selfish, self-gratifying prayers. We should seek to have our hearts aligned with God’s will to avoid that. What I am encouraging are audacious, “impossible” prayers.

Do you ask for the impossible because you know God can do the impossible? Or do you ask for what seems reasonable? God wants to do the impossible in our lives. Not for our comfort but for His glory. How can we glorify God if His character and power are never showcased in our lives? The impossible becoming possible is evidence of God’s power and sovereignty. I don’t know about you, but I don’t only want good things to happen that I have to give God credit for. I want impossible things to become a reality, things that blow people’s minds, so that no one but God could get the credit.

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.

Hebrews 4:16

Extend the Invitation

Remember who you are and understand the position and authority you've been given. You are a child of God. You’ve been invited into the family of God, the Kingdom of Heaven, and an abundant life in Christ. Pray like it, live like it, and then go extend the invitation to someone else.