Our blogs this week have centered around the words of the Psalmist in 118:1. 

Psalm 118:1 (ESV)
¹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

I hope this week’s blogs have reminded us to be thankful every day for God’s goodness, because the results of an all-powerful God who was not good would be tragically horrible.  Fortunately, we do not have to worry about that because God is good, and He is good all the time.  Goodness is a part of His essence.

We should not only be thankful, but we should also regularly express our appreciation to God Himself.   This brings us to something else for which we should be thankful—prayer.  Prayer is one of our greatest blessings.  To be able to approach God’s throne through prayer whenever we need or want to is a remarkable privilege.   Having access to God is something we should never take for granted, and we have it with confidence.

Ephesians 3:11–12 (ESV)
¹¹This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

The Hebrews writer encourages us to confidently pray.

Hebrews 10:19–22 (ESV)
¹⁹Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

There is a lot that goes into making this blessing of prayer a reality for us, not the least is our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He opened for us the way into the presence of God, tearing down the curtain by His death on the cross, providing for us a new and living way.  Furthermore, it is in His name that we pray.  

Colossians 3:17 (ESV)
¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

And let us not forget that whenever we pray, our success is guaranteed by the presence of Jesus, who serves as our advocate when we pray. 

Hebrews 7:25 (ESV)
²⁵Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

While all these elements are important parts of prayer and, in fact, make prayer possible, there is something else we should consider. We can pray because God is good. Not only is it a blessing that comes directly from Him, but from a practical perspective, we can approach God in prayer because He is approachable, which reflects the good nature of our heavenly Father.  The overall picture that the Bible gives us of God assures us that He is a loving Father whose ears are always open to us.  

1 Peter 3:12 (ESV)
¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer…

The affable nature of God makes praying to Him much easier.  It is another blessing we enjoy because God is good.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.