Discovering the Confidence We Have to Draw Near Through Christ
The Real-Life Struggle
Have you ever wanted to spend time with God but found yourself hesitating because you didn’t feel spiritually prepared?
Perhaps you had been looking forward to a quiet morning.
You imagined sitting with your Bible, enjoying a cup of tea, and spending time talking with the Father before the responsibilities of the day began.
But when the morning arrived, your thoughts were scattered.
You remembered something you had said impatiently the day before.
You felt disappointed that you hadn’t prayed as consistently as you intended.
Or perhaps you were carrying a concern that seemed too ordinary to bring before God.
You opened your Bible, but instead of enjoying the opportunity to draw near, you began wondering whether you were approaching Him in the right way.
Should I spend more time confessing first?
Have I been faithful enough lately?
Does God really want to hear about something so small?
Am I being disrespectful if I come to Him feeling distracted?
Perhaps you know that God loves you.
You believe that Jesus died for your sins.
You understand that salvation is a gift of grace.
Yet you still find yourself approaching the Father with a quiet sense of uncertainty.
Sometimes you feel welcome.
Other times, you feel as though you need to earn the right to enter His presence.
And perhaps you have begun measuring your access to God according to how spiritual you feel.
When you have enjoyed a peaceful time in Scripture, prayer comes naturally.
When you have been distracted or impatient, you feel reluctant.
When life is going well, you approach Him confidently.
When you are struggling, you wonder whether you should wait until you have things under control.
But what if our confidence to approach the Father was never intended to depend upon the quality of our most recent day?
What if access to God is not something we establish through spiritual preparation or personal goodness?
What if Jesus has already opened the way?
This is the extraordinary truth revealed in Hebrews 10.
And understanding it can change the way we pray, respond to our failures, and enjoy our relationship with the Father.
Because Jesus did not simply teach us how to approach God.
Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished what was necessary for us to draw near.
Discover the Truth
Read Hebrews 10:19–25, paying particular attention to verses 19–22.
To understand the significance of these verses, we need to consider the wider message of Hebrews.
Throughout this letter, the writer explains the superiority of Jesus Christ and the sufficiency of His saving work.
Jesus is greater than the angels.
He is greater than Moses.
He is the faithful Son over God’s house.
And He is our great High Priest, whose priesthood and sacrifice accomplish what the old covenant priesthood and sacrifices could never finally achieve.
Under the old covenant, access to the earthly sanctuary was carefully regulated.
The tabernacle, and later the temple, included distinct areas associated with God’s holy presence.
The Most Holy Place was separated by a veil.
According to Leviticus 16, the high priest entered that inner sanctuary only on the appointed Day of Atonement, following the prescribed sacrifices and rituals.
These arrangements taught Israel important truths about God’s holiness, humanity’s sinfulness, and the need for atonement.
They also demonstrated that unrestricted access into the Most Holy Place had not yet been opened under that covenant.
Hebrews 9:6–8 explains that the priests regularly entered the outer part of the tabernacle to perform their duties, while only the high priest entered the inner sanctuary, and only once each year, with blood.
The writer explains that the Holy Spirit was indicating something through these arrangements.
The way into the holy places had not yet been fully disclosed while the first tabernacle arrangement remained in place.
Then Hebrews turns our attention towards Jesus.
Unlike the earthly priests, Christ entered the greater and more perfect heavenly sanctuary.
He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves.
Hebrews 9:12 explains that He entered once for all through His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
His sacrifice was not another temporary offering within a repeated system.
It was the sufficient offering of Himself.
In Hebrews 10:11–14, the writer contrasts the repeated sacrifices of the priests with the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.
The priests stood daily ministering and offering sacrifices that could never finally take away sins.
But Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins and sat down at the right hand of God.
His seated position points towards the completion and sufficiency of His sacrificial work.
Then we arrive at Hebrews 10:19.
The writer begins with a remarkable declaration.
Because of Jesus, believers have confidence to enter the holy places by His blood.
Notice the foundation of this confidence.
It is not personal achievement.
It is not religious experience.
It is not the quality of our prayers.
It is the blood of Jesus Christ.
The writer continues in verse 20, describing the new and living way that Jesus opened for us through the curtain, identified with His flesh.
This language connects Christ’s sacrificial death with the opening of access to God.
When Jesus died, the Gospel accounts record that the veil of the temple was torn.
Matthew 27:50–51 describes the veil being torn from top to bottom at the time of His death.
This extraordinary event points towards the significance of what Christ had accomplished.
The barrier associated with the old covenant sanctuary no longer represented the believer’s access to God in the same way.
Through Jesus, a new and living way had been opened.
Yet Hebrews does not stop with the sacrifice.
Verse 21 reminds us that we have a great Priest over the house of God.
Jesus is not merely the One who opened the way in the past.
He is our living High Priest.
Hebrews 7:25 explains that He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.
Our confidence rests upon both His completed sacrifice and His continuing priestly ministry.
Then, in Hebrews 10:22, the writer gives the invitation:
Let us draw near.
We are called to approach God with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
These images draw upon the language of cleansing and priestly preparation.
They point towards the cleansing and consecration made possible through Christ.
We do not make ourselves acceptable by performing our own spiritual rituals.
We draw near because Jesus has provided the cleansing we need.
The invitation is not to approach God carelessly.
It is to approach Him sincerely, in faith, through the saving work of His Son.
Jesus has opened the way to the Father, and believers are invited to draw near with confidence because of Him.
See the Father’s Heart
When we consider the access Jesus has provided, we discover something beautiful about the Father’s heart.
God has not merely allowed us to approach Him reluctantly.
He has acted through His Son to make that relationship possible.
Sometimes we imagine the Father as distant.
We picture Him as holy, powerful and perhaps difficult to approach.
We know that He loves us, but we may still feel that we must behave exceptionally well before He will welcome us.
Yet Scripture reveals that the Father Himself sent Jesus.
John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world and gave His only begotten Son.
The saving work of Christ is the expression of the Father’s love and purpose.
Jesus did not come to persuade an unwilling Father to become welcoming.
He came in obedience to the Father, revealing His heart and accomplishing the work through which sinners could be reconciled to Him.
Consider Jesus’ words in John 14:6.
He declares that He is the way, the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Jesus is not merely one possible route among many.
He is the One through whom access to the Father is given.
And in John 14:9, Jesus explains that whoever has seen Him has seen the Father.
His compassion, holiness, mercy and truth reveal the Father’s character.
This means that when we consider the invitation to draw near, we should not imagine Jesus standing between us and a Father who does not want us.
Rather, we should recognise that the Father has provided the way through His beloved Son.
Ephesians 2:18 expresses this beautifully.
Through Christ, believers have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Notice the wonderful unity of God’s work.
Through the Son.
In the Spirit.
To the Father.
The Christian life is not intended to be lived at a distance from God.
We have been brought into relationship with Him.
And Hebrews 4:14–16 gives us another remarkable invitation.
Because Jesus is our great High Priest, who has passed through the heavens, we are encouraged to hold firmly to our confession.
The writer explains that Jesus is not unable to sympathise with our weaknesses.
He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Then we are invited to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Consider those words.
In time of need.
Not only when everything is going well.
Not only when we feel spiritually strong.
Not only when we have successfully completed our morning routines.
We are invited to approach the throne of grace when we need mercy and help.
This does not mean that sin is unimportant.
It means that our need should turn us towards the Father through Christ rather than cause us to withdraw from Him.
The Father’s heart is not revealed through a demand that we make ourselves worthy before approaching Him.
It is revealed through the gift of His Son.
And because of Jesus, we can draw near.
Recognise the Old Pattern
One of the most common old patterns in our thinking is the belief that access to God depends upon our spiritual performance.
Perhaps you have experienced this after a difficult day.
You became impatient.
You neglected something important.
You allowed worry to influence your thinking.
And by the evening, you felt disappointed in yourself.
You considered praying, but something inside you hesitated.
I haven’t been very spiritual today.
I should probably wait until tomorrow.
I need to get my attitude right first.
Without realising it, you may have begun treating prayer as a privilege reserved for your better days.
But Hebrews 10 does not tell believers to draw near because they have performed well.
It tells them to draw near because Jesus has opened the way.
Another old pattern involves believing that our prayers must be impressive before God will listen.
Perhaps you have heard someone pray beautifully.
Their words flow naturally.
They seem confident.
They remember Scripture.
And their prayers sound deeply meaningful.
Then you consider your own prayers.
Sometimes they are simple.
Sometimes you struggle to find the right words.
Sometimes you repeat yourself.
And sometimes all you can manage is a quiet request for help.
You may begin wondering whether your prayers are less valuable.
But our access to the Father is not established through eloquence.
It is established through Jesus Christ.
We can speak honestly and sincerely because He has opened the way.
Another old pattern is believing that ordinary concerns are too insignificant to bring before God.
Perhaps you are worried about a conversation.
You feel overwhelmed by responsibilities.
You are uncertain how to respond to a family situation.
Or you are simply tired and need wisdom for the day ahead.
You may think:
Surely God has more important things to concern Himself with.
But 1 Peter 5:7 encourages believers to cast their anxieties upon God because He cares for them.
The Father is not indifferent to the concerns of His children.
We do not need to make our circumstances sound more spiritual before bringing them to Him.
Another old pattern appears when we confuse reverence with distance.
God is holy.
He is worthy of worship, honour and obedience.
But reverence does not require us to imagine that He wants His children to remain far away.
Hebrews invites believers to draw near with sincere hearts and full assurance of faith.
We can approach God with humility and confidence at the same time.
Reverence recognises who He is.
Confidence recognises what Jesus has accomplished.
And both belong in our relationship with the Father.
Perhaps the most persistent old pattern is the belief that we must make ourselves clean before approaching God.
We recognise something in our lives that needs changing.
We feel ashamed.
And we decide that we should wait until we have improved.
But this reverses the order of the gospel.
We do not cleanse ourselves through our own goodness and then become worthy to approach God.
We come through Jesus Christ, whose sacrifice provides the cleansing we need.
When we recognise sin, we confess and repent.
When we need help, we ask.
When we feel weak, we draw near.
And when we are uncertain, we return to the truth of Scripture.
Our confidence to approach the Father does not come from the absence of weakness in our lives. It comes from the sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
Renew Your Thinking
Romans 12:2 calls believers to be transformed through the renewing of their minds.
As we understand the access Jesus has provided, several important beliefs begin to change.
Old belief: I must become spiritually prepared before God will welcome me.
Hebrews 10:19–22 explains that believers have confidence to enter God’s presence through the blood of Jesus.
Renewed understanding: I approach the Father through Christ, not through my ability to make myself worthy.
Old belief: When I fail, I should withdraw until I feel acceptable again.
Hebrews 4:16 invites believers to approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and help in time of need.
Renewed understanding: When I recognise sin or weakness, I can turn towards God through repentance and faith rather than withdrawing from Him.
Old belief: My prayers must be impressive before God will listen.
Matthew 6:7–8 reminds us that prayer is not about accumulating many words to secure God’s attention.
Renewed understanding: I can speak sincerely and honestly with the Father, trusting Him rather than relying upon religious performance.
Old belief: My everyday concerns are too small to bring before God.
First Peter 5:7 encourages believers to cast their anxieties upon Him because He cares for them.
Renewed understanding: I can bring my genuine concerns to the Father, knowing that His care is not limited to extraordinary circumstances.
Old belief: God’s holiness means I should remain at a distance.
Hebrews 10:22 invites believers to draw near with a sincere heart and full assurance of faith.
Renewed understanding: I can approach the holy God with reverence and confidence because Jesus has opened the way.
Old belief: I must maintain my access to God through flawless behaviour.
Hebrews 7:25 teaches that Jesus continues to intercede for those who draw near to God through Him.
Renewed understanding: My confidence rests upon Christ’s sufficient sacrifice and His continuing priestly ministry, not upon my ability to live without ever needing correction.
These renewed beliefs can transform our everyday relationship with the Father.
We begin to see prayer differently.
Instead of treating it as a religious activity that proves our devotion, we recognise it as an opportunity to draw near through Christ.
We begin to see confession differently.
Instead of imagining that admitting our failures will make God unwilling to receive us, we recognise that we can come honestly because Jesus is our Saviour.
We begin to see weakness differently.
Instead of allowing it to drive us away from God, we allow it to remind us of our need for His mercy and help.
And we begin to see the Father’s holiness differently.
His holiness is not something we dismiss.
But neither do we use it as a reason to ignore the access He has provided through His Son.
Jesus has opened the way, and we are invited to draw near.
Walk It Out
A practical example: When you don’t feel ready to pray
Imagine that you have had a difficult afternoon.
Several responsibilities have required your attention.
You have been interrupted repeatedly.
And by the time the evening arrives, you feel mentally exhausted.
You remember that you intended to spend time with the Father.
But your thoughts are scattered.
You feel distracted.
And perhaps you recognise that you responded impatiently to someone earlier in the day.
You consider praying, but a familiar thought appears.
I don’t feel spiritually ready.
You tell yourself that tomorrow will be better.
You’ll wake earlier.
You’ll read Scripture first.
You’ll have a clearer mind.
And then you’ll spend time with God.
But what would it look like to respond from the truth of Hebrews 10?
Step 1: Recognise the belief behind your hesitation.
Ask yourself:
Why do I feel that I must be in a particular spiritual condition before approaching the Father?
Perhaps you have begun believing that access to God depends upon your feelings or performance.
Recognising that belief is the first step towards renewing it.
Step 2: Remember what Jesus has accomplished.
Hebrews 10:19 tells us that believers have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.
Your confidence does not rest upon how focused you feel.
It rests upon Him.
You do not need to manufacture a spiritual atmosphere before speaking with the Father.
You can come through Christ.
Step 3: Approach God honestly.
You might begin with a simple prayer:
Father, I’m tired. My thoughts are scattered, and I don’t feel particularly focused. But thank You that I can come to You through Jesus. Please help me.
There is no need to pretend that you feel different from how you actually feel.
You can be sincere.
You can acknowledge your weakness.
And you can trust that the Father knows your needs.
Step 4: Respond appropriately to anything that needs addressing.
If you recognise that you have sinned, confess it.
If you have hurt someone, take responsibility and seek to make things right.
If you have neglected an important responsibility, consider what practical action is needed.
Drawing near to God does not mean avoiding repentance or accountability.
It means responding to these things from the foundation of Christ’s saving work rather than attempting to make yourself worthy through your own efforts.
Step 5: Allow prayer to become fellowship rather than performance.
You do not need to produce a lengthy or impressive prayer.
Perhaps you spend a few minutes thanking the Father.
Perhaps you read a short passage of Scripture.
Perhaps you simply bring one concern before Him.
And perhaps, as you continue, you find yourself becoming more aware of His truth and care.
But even if you do not experience a particular feeling, your access to God has not changed.
It rests upon Jesus Christ.
A gentle practice for this week
Choose one moment each day to intentionally remember the access Jesus has provided.
It does not need to be lengthy.
You might pause before beginning your responsibilities.
You might take a quiet moment during the afternoon.
Or you might spend a few minutes with the Father before going to sleep.
Begin by remembering Hebrews 10:19–22.
Then practise this simple rhythm.
Remember.
Jesus has opened the way to the Father.
Approach.
Speak honestly with God about what is happening in your life.
Receive.
Ask for the mercy, wisdom and help you need.
Respond.
Consider whether there is anything He is calling you to acknowledge, change or obey.
The purpose is not to create another spiritual obligation.
It is to practise living from the truth that Christ has already made access to the Father possible.
Pause and Reflect
Take a little time to read Hebrews 10:19–22 again.
1. What stands out to me about the confidence believers have through the blood of Jesus?
How does this challenge the belief that I must earn the right to approach God?
2. Have I been measuring my access to the Father according to how spiritual I feel?
What happens to my confidence when I am tired, distracted or disappointed in myself?
3. Do I tend to withdraw from God when I recognise weakness or sin?
What would it look like to turn towards Him through repentance and faith instead?
4. How does knowing that Jesus is my great High Priest change the way I understand my relationship with the Father?
What does His continuing intercession mean for my confidence?
5. What is one everyday concern that I have been hesitant to bring before God?
How might I approach Him differently this week?
You do not need to answer every question immediately.
Allow the truth of God’s Word to become established in your thinking.
A Prayer of Response
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your extraordinary love.
Thank You that You did not leave humanity without a way to be reconciled to You.
You sent Your Son.
You provided the sacrifice for sin.
And through Jesus Christ, You have opened the way for us to draw near.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your perfect obedience to the Father.
Thank You for giving Your life on the cross.
Thank You for Your precious blood, through which forgiveness and cleansing have been made possible.
Thank You that Your sacrifice is sufficient.
And thank You that You are our living High Priest, who continues to intercede for those who belong to You.
Father, forgive me for the times I have approached You as though I needed to make myself worthy first.
Where I have believed that my prayers must be impressive, renew my thinking.
Where I have withdrawn because I felt ashamed or inadequate, remind me of the access Jesus has provided.
Where I have treated my everyday concerns as too insignificant to bring before You, help me remember Your care.
And where I have confused reverence with distance, teach me to approach You with both humility and confidence.
Holy Spirit, continue renewing my mind.
Help me recognise beliefs that do not agree with Scripture.
Teach me to pray sincerely.
To respond to correction with repentance.
To bring my concerns before the Father.
And to depend upon Jesus rather than my own spiritual performance.
Father, I want to enjoy the relationship You have made possible through Your Son.
Not carelessly.
Not without reverence.
But with gratitude, faith and love.
Thank You that I can draw near when I am strong.
And when I am weak.
When life is peaceful.
And when I need help.
May the truth of Christ’s finished work become increasingly established in my heart.
And may my everyday walk with You reflect the confidence You have given me through Him.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Before You Continue Along the Path
Perhaps you arrived here believing that approaching God required a particular feeling.
You thought you needed to be peaceful.
Focused.
Spiritually prepared.
Or sufficiently pleased with your recent behaviour.
Perhaps you have enjoyed wonderful times in prayer, yet still find yourself hesitating when life becomes difficult.
You know that the Father loves you.
But sometimes you wonder whether you are truly welcome to draw near.
Hebrews 10 invites you to return to the foundation of your confidence.
Jesus has opened the way.
Through His sacrifice, believers have access to God.
And because He is our great High Priest, we are invited to approach the Father with sincere hearts and full assurance of faith.
This does not mean that God’s holiness has become unimportant.
Nor does it mean that repentance and obedience are unnecessary.
It means that our access to Him rests upon Christ rather than our own efforts.
We do not need to manufacture worthiness before approaching the Father.
We come through Jesus.
We acknowledge our sins honestly.
We receive His mercy.
We seek His wisdom.
And we continue learning to walk in obedience.
As you imagine yourself standing before the Open Gate, consider the pathway beyond it.
The gate is no longer closed.
The way has been opened.
And the invitation is not to remain outside, wondering whether you have done enough to enter.
It is to draw near through the One who has made access possible.
Jesus did not simply tell us to find our way to the Father. Through His saving work, He opened the way Himself.
May that truth change the way you pray.
May it bring freedom where you have felt unworthy.
And may it establish a deeper confidence in your relationship with the Father.
You are not approaching God through your own goodness.
You are approaching Him through Jesus Christ.
And He is sufficient.
Continue exploring The Woodland Path — Understanding the Finished Work of Christ.