GlobalChristians

Eternity 56 - Access To The Father

Ephesians 2:18 LITV For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Access is a political term, it means you have an open door to the office of an important person. If someone has "access to the President" or "access to the Queen" they are highly regarded. However the Christian has access to God.

We have access to the central source of authority in the Universe. Jesus brought this into focus when He said to those gathered on the mountain in Galilee "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me..go therefore". We have access to enough authority to make anything happen that we want to happen. God can move officials, money, resources and personnel to anywhere He wants - in answer to believing prayer. Doors open in response to prayer and people change and needs are met.

Experienced intercessors nearly always use the term "coming before the throne". Intercessors are very aware that they are dealing with authority. Prayer is a political act of asking the King of Kings for pardon, for favour, for power, for supply and for all we need to carry out His will and extend His kingdom.

The picture comes to my mind of Drake before Queen Elizabeth asking for funds to mount an expedition or win a war against the Spanish, or Columbus before Isabella asking for ships to find the New World. Or the biblical pictures of Esther pleading before the throne of Ahasuerus for the Jews or Nehemiah before Ataxerxes asking for provisions to rebuild Jerusalem. In each case these people had access and used it effectively to accomplish Kingdom purposes.

God the Sovereign King has imperial interests and on the basis of those interests and our access we can plead effectively.

Why would a King grant a petition? Firstly because the petitioner has access and a right to stand before the throne, secondly because the requests of the petitioner agreed with either the promises or the purposes of the King, and thirdly because the petitioner was truthful, trustworthy and reliable or at least was not unreliable. No-one wants to grant the petitions of a known rogue.

Now when you come before God you have access through Jesus and the deepest kind of access through the Holy Spirit, access to the very heart and being of God. However you cannot abuse this access by asking for unholy things, or profaning it in materialistic ways - your access must be used responsibly and in line with the Promises and Purposes of God. Lastly God must be able to trust you with the answer. You must be able to be faithful to that which you ask of God.

As you take on the promises and purposes of God, and use your access to God to see His kingdom extended, and prove yourself a worthy and reliable servant - you will see mighty answers to prayer and astonishing provision.

Praying Hyde prayed for souls in India, first one a day, then two then four and so on and his request were granted. Rees Howells prayed for key battles in the Second World War with great effect and George Muller ran an orphanage on prayer and faith. The testimony of the saints is that access to the throne, rightly used, is powerful indeed!

Think of yourself as a Columbus, an Esther, a Drake, a Nehemiah, A Joseph or a Daniel - a person with a vision, a mission and with access to great power, imagine the King of Kings asking you "What do you want?". I'd answer with certain requests about my ministry - numerous AIBI study cells in every Asian country and Internet cafes in 30 unreached people groups in Asia, young Asian missionaries reaching the nations for Jesus properly funded and supported and cared for and massive numbers of people being saved and discipled and gathered into living, bible-believing, Spirit-filled churches in places where no church now exists.

That is my dream, that is what I ask Heaven for. What will you answer the King when you stand before Him and He says "What is your mission and what do you want?"

Blessings,

John Edmiston