Devotional: Pursuing God

Jesus, quoting the prophet Isaiah, said that his house would be called a “house of prayer for all nations” (Matt. 21:13). This statement resounds over two thousand years later as a resounding call to the heart of the Christian life: prayer. Without prayer, the pursuit of God falls flat. But with prayer, one truly begins the journey of becoming by pursuing him, reaching out boldly to the Father who hears and answers his children.

Questions For Meditation

1. Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Why is faith essential to pleasing God? Why is prayer a central sign that this faith is present in our hearts?
2. Why is it significant to prayer that Jesus is our High Priest? How does this allow us to approach God?
3. What is the ‘Throne of Grace’? What are the two things we receive there?
4. What is grace? What are some areas of your life that you wish for the grace of God to fill?
5. What is mercy? What are some areas of your life that you wish for the mercy of God to fill?
6. Why is it crucial to grasp that God is our Father as he listens to our prayers? How does this change the way we pray to him?