Sermon on Prayer: Seeking God's Presence in Prayer

You can feel free to pray to God; there is no wall that separates you two. After the sacrifice of Jesus, the veil was torn, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. In this way, your connection with God is established, and He is attentive to your needs.

Key Text: Hebrews 10:19-25

Theme: Boldness in prayer before God.

Objective: To lead the listeners to the decision of wanting to seek God’s presence in prayer, through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Introduction

The Word of God tells us that we can have boldness to seek His presence. We can do this because of Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for us. Through His sacrifice, Jesus opened a new and living way that allows us to draw near to God with confidence.

The veil separated the two main rooms of the temple: the “holy place” and the “most holy place.” In the latter, the high priest entered only once a year to offer sacrifice (Hebrews 9:7). When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51), showing that from that moment on, all who believe have authorization to enter God’s sanctuary.

We can boldly enter into God’s presence in prayer through Jesus, our great High Priest. He opened a new and living way by His own blood shed on the cross of Calvary.

The passage in Hebrews 10:22-25 shows us three ways to pray to God with boldness:

I. Worshiping by faith in holiness

To worship means to put God first in our lives. When we approach God in prayer, we must lay everything else aside and focus only on Him. Jesus told the Samaritan woman that our worship must be spiritual and true John 4:24.

• With a sincere heart: sincerity is essential to building good relationships with people. It’s the same with God - there must be sincerity.
• In full assurance of faith: faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
- Hebrews 11:1

• With a pure conscience: to have a pure conscience, we must be certain that our sins have been forgiven. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
• With bodies washed with pure water: the author of Hebrews makes an allusion to the purifications the Jews performed before offering sacrifices. In the same way, we must be purified to draw near to God.

II. Persevering through hope

Hope is what keeps us moving forward; it is the fuel of perseverance.

• Holding firm without wavering: steadfastness is essential in the Christian life. The confession of faith we made must never be abandoned. Hope gives us strength to stand firm without wavering.
• Knowing the One who promised is faithful: the Lord is faithful to His promises. When we know His nature, we know we can have hope.

III. Growing in love through fellowship

• Encouraging one another to love and good works: fellowship with brothers and sisters in the church is essential for encouragement. Love is the foundation of our relationship with God and with others. This encouragement leads us to pray with boldness and to practice good works.
• Not neglecting to meet together: even at the time this letter was written, some Christians had abandoned gathering together. Prayer must happen both in the intimacy of our personal life, with the door closed (Matthew 6:6), and collectively in the church.
• Admonishing one another: encouragement is a loving way to strengthen others. Admonition is a corrective affirmation that helps us walk faithfully. This happens in the context of Christian fellowship.
• Because the “Day” is approaching: here “Day” refers to the final judgment, when all will give account before God. Entering God’s presence in prayer is also a necessity to remain firm until the return of Jesus.

Conclusion

To summarize:

• Worshiping by faith in holiness.
• Persevering through hope.
• Growing in love through fellowship.

Three elements emerge here: faith, hope, and love.

Main Idea: We can boldly enter God’s presence in prayer through Jesus, our great High Priest. He opened a new and living way by His own blood shed on the cross of Calvary.

Also see:

• Sermon Outlines: short, deep, expository, and topical
• Prayer: The Power In Praying According To God's Word (Bible Study)