What does it mean to come with confidence to God? The meaning of Hebrews 4:16 reveals God’s invitation to trust and rely on Him, especially in our problems, failures, sins, and challenges. This verse shares the truth that God welcomes us with mercy, grace, and help as we come to Him with our needs. As we cultivate the spiritual habits of prayer and trust, we develop a deeper relationship with God that is based on confidence in God rather than in ourselves. 

Do You Come to God with Confidence?

Have you ever stood at the doorway of a room full of people who seem out of your league?

I’ve stood on the outside looking in, longing to turn around and leave. I worried that I wouldn’t be accepted. Feeling like I didn’t belong, I worried I wasn’t qualified to be in that place. Sometimes we can feel this way with God.

We can experience a similar hesitancy when it comes to entering God’s presence or pursuing a deeper relationship with Him. And yet, God invites us to come to Him with confidence that we will be received. That we will find help and acceptance.

Maybe you have experienced this lack of confidence that can hinder your participation or progress if you allow fear to hold you back. When you seek God, do you come with confidence? Or do you hesitate, thinking you need to clean yourself up or get your act together before coming to God?

Contrast this fear of rejection with the way a child comes into the house, entering with the joy and confidence of coming home. She enters with the privelege of a member of the household. She know’s her father will be glad to see her. And she knows she belongs for she’s part of the family. 

Draw near to God with confidence.

God invites us into a deeper relationship by the power of the Holy Spirit in a variety of ways. In our last post, we reflected on the invitation to come with the faith of a child. In this post, we explore coming to God with confidence.

Come with confidence–this is another precious invitation to deepen our relationship with God and experience grace, mercy, and help as we prayerfully approach God. The Bible shows us that Jesus understands the challenges we face-He sympathizes with our weaknesses. This is one of the reasons we can lay down our fear to approach God with confidence. 

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16 NASB

I often read Bible passages in several translations in order to benefit from a variety of words used in translating the content. One of my favorites is the Amplified Bible because it “amplifies” the message by inserting meaning and details into the verses for a fuller understanding of the text. Consider the way the Amplified Bible expands our understanding of Hebrews 4:16

Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment].

Hebrews 4: 16 AMP

Isn’t it a wonder to embrace the truth that the Spirit beckons us come with confidence enter the intimacy of the holy place, his direct presence? During the days of the Old Testament, only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies one time a year. But now, God invites us to come boldly. To enter is a progressive coming closer, committing to go all in, to be fully present with God as well as welcomed by Him.

I don’t know about you, but when I’m in a mess or need help, my soul breathes a sigh of relief to receive help–a blessing that fits my challenge and at the time it is needed. Indeed, this is a huge privilege as God’s grace comes in many forms.

Christ-confidence rather than self-confidence.

Come to God with confidence, reliance, and trust. Too often, we get stuck stirring up self-confidence, trying to solve problems, pulling ourselves up by the bootstraps, or attempting to control outcomes in our favor.  In this passage, confidence is based on Christ’s sacrifice, merits, faithfulness, and invitation. It is Christ-confidence not self-confidence.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,  by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, through His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let’s approach God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. . .   Hebrews 10:19-23 NASB

God invites us to come confidently without fear of punishment—for it is in His presence that we receive deeper faith, forgiveness of sin, healing of wounds, and restoration. Sometimes I need the reminder of what an incredible privilege it is to simply come to God. Our confidence and our hope stands firm when it is built on God’s promises and His faithfulness.

What a blessing to be able to come to God, to seek His help at any time. It is in our coming that we receive what we need: forgiveness, cleansing, washing, assurance, mercy, grace, help. . . We don’t have to get through gatekeepers, purchase a membership fee, or make an appointment. 

God’s invitation to enter fully by His Spirit is based on His love and faithfulness and on the sacrifice of Christ.

You are invited to receive.

The Holy Spirit invites us to find our deepest needs met in Him—to be accepted, valued, loved, and secure. To be fully known and to fully know our true selves free from guilt and shame.

Maybe you already know this truth, but there is a fresh blessing for each of us when we appreciate anew the sacred invitations of God.

For it is by His Spirit that we push past the clamor of conflict, the stress of busy lives, and the weariness of too many burdens, giving God our full attention. It is the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit who reminds us to seek God in it all–the good, the busy, the bad, and the broken.

Have you accepted God’s invitation to come with confidence?

Think about a time you have been invited to join a friend for dinner. You’re planning to go. You get ready. You are on your way.

Can you enjoy the meal with your friend if you don’t show up? If you stand outside and don’t walk through the door. You might be able to smell the meal, but you can’t experience the good food if you aren’t present. You might be able to see pictures of the dinner if someone posts food pics on social media, but that’s not the same as tasting the food for yourself. 

In a similar way, we will not experience for ourselves grace, mercy, and help for our needs if we don’t show up with God.

• Turn to him with our needs.
• Draw near to him in our failures.
• Pray about our problems.
• Trust him to fulfill the promise in this verse.

Come to God with confidence in your moments of need.

Build habits of hope in your life by trusting Jesus in all of life’s moments. Consider a few of the following times we can turn to Jesus with our attention, faith, prayer, and trust*: 

• Seek the comfort of Jesus in sad moments.
• Repent from sin in your blow-it moments.
• Run to Jesus in resentful moments.
• Search out the root of discouraged moments.
• Receive peace in stressful moments.
• Release the hidden expectations and hurt of disappointed moments.
• Cry out to Jesus in lonely moments.
• Ask for strength to forgive in outraged moments.
• Hold fast to God’s faithfulness in hopeless moments.
• Cling to Christ in dejected moments.

• List adapted from my book, Holy in the Moment, p. 126 (affiliate link).

Are you coming to God? With confidence? Do you believe He will welcome you with mercy and grace to help in your time of need? If not, maybe this is the place to start. Come to God with your questions, fears, and challenges to trust that his mercy, grace, and help is FOR you. 

Yes, Friend, this is your moment to come to God with confidence.

Come boldly. Come daily. Make it a habit that your first response is to come to Jesus with what’s on your heart.

Cherish this invitation to settle your heart in His loving presence.

A deeper relationship with Jesus is experienced as we turn to Him with confidence in His grace.

Get Practical Help to Come to God with Confidence with The Spiritual Growth Pack

Grab a copy of some of my best tips to increase your spiritual attention, listen to God, connect with God’s word, put on the armor of God in prayer, and more. Practical resources made to help you grow in your relationship with God with confidence and meaningful connection. 

*This is an updated post from 2019. It is also part of my By His Spirit retreat content. You can watch the first session here. 

Related posts to deepen your relationship with God

Attend to your spiritual health with some of my top posts to help you come to God with greater confidence and focus. Which one of these posts could be the encouragement you need today?

• Come to Jesus with Child-Like Faith
• How to Stay Focused in Prayer
• When You Long for God to Speak to You
• Simple Ways to Meditate on God’s Word
• 8 Powerful Ways to Connect with God When He Is Silent
• 15 Simple Ways to Overcome Distraction to Focus Your Attention on God (with printable)
• Discover Six Important Truths About Listening to Go