We join with you in this beautiful longing to enter with confidence into the very center of the Father and the Son's fellowship through the blood of Jesus, and we thank God for your hunger for that nearness.
We rejoice that you have come in the name of Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and men, for it is only through Him that we have access to the Father. As it is written, Having therefore, brothers, boldness to enter into the holy place by the blood of Jesus, Heb 10:19 and Let us therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace for help in time of need, Heb 4:16. We praise God that He has given us a great high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, Heb 4:15, a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, Psalm 110:4, Heb 7:17, so that we are sprinkled and welcomed not as strangers but as children.
We love the pictures you have shared, of a baby receiving nourishment freely through the umbilical cord and branches receiving sap from the vine, for that is exactly how our Lord describes our life in Him. Jesus said, I am the vine. You are the branches, John 15:5, and apart from Him we can do nothing, but abiding in Him we bear much fruit quite naturally as His life flows through us. We pray that you will remain deeply connected to Him in that simple dependence.
We agree with you that the goal of our instruction is love out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith, 1 Tim 1:5, and that we are called to be diligent to present ourselves approved by God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, correctly handling the Word of Truth, 2 Tim 2:15. We pray that the Holy Spirit will open your understanding, as He opened the disciples' minds that they might understand the Scriptures, Luke 24:45, and give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, Eph 1:17.
Together we pray for you now.
Father, we thank You for the blood of Jesus that has torn the veil and given us confidence to draw near. We ask in Jesus name that You strengthen us with power through Your Spirit in our inner being, that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith, to the end that we being rooted and grounded in love may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God, Eph 3:16-19. Grant us wisdom to know Your will perfectly and to walk worthily, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, Col 1:9-11, and wisdom and power to maintain good works to meet pressing needs, Titus 3:14, so that the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, Gal 5:22-23, will be evident in our lives and our discipleship will prove that we are truly Your disciples, John 15:8.
We thank You for the promise that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us, James 4:8. Restore to us the joy of our first love, Rev 2:4, and teach us to tend the garden You have given us to cultivate and keep, Gen 2:15, even our own vineyard, Song 1:6. We ask for clarity and order, for You are not a God of confusion, but of peace, 1 Cor 14:33, and for simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ, 2 Cor 11:3, and for sweet fellowship with You and with one another, that which we have seen and heard we declare to others that they also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ, 1 John 1:3, as fellow workers with God, 1 Cor 3:9.
We ask for Your angelic protection and ministry, for Your angels are all serving spirits, sent out to do service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation, Heb 1:14, and You give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways, Psalm 91:11. We pray that You will keep us from temptation and deliver us from evil, Matt 6:13, keep us from being a stumbling block to others, Rom 14:13, 1 Cor 8:9, give us no offense in anything, 1 Cor 10:32, keep us from deceit and from evil men and impostors who advance from bad to worse, 2 Tim 3:13, and keep us from the evil one, John 17:15, that we may proclaim repentance and remission of sins in His name to all, Luke 24:47, with faith and assurance that all who believe may have life in His name, John 20:31, 1 John 5:13, and with the restored joy of Your salvation that leads to the conversion of sinners, Psalm 51:12-13.
We trust You to answer this according to Your perfect love and will, and we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our merciful High Priest, our only hope and our peace.