As a kid, I remember going to a father-daughter camp with my dad. One of the activities was to climb up a double pamper pole together. If you have never been on one of these, it is a tall wooden pole with metal hooks all the way up to place your feet on as you climb. One by one, two people climb up this wooden pole and stand together on a small platform at the top. Then, on the count of three, both people jump at the same time off of the platform, trusting the safety straps to protect them. The goal is for both people to grab on to the trapeze bar a few feet away and then do a pull-up or two.
When this opportunity presented itself, I was scared at first. To be honest, I am kind of afraid of heights! I was never the kid who loved roller coasters, even though I loved the atmosphere of a theme park. However, I did this pamper pole activity even though I was a little bit afraid because I knew I would not be alone. Daddy would be with me. Even afraid, even though I did not know what my next steps would look like as I climbed up this shaky pole, I had a supernatural confidence because I knew who my father was. I knew that if I fell, Daddy would be behind me to catch me. I knew that if I doubted myself, Daddy would be there to help me be courageous. I knew that if I wanted to quit, Daddy would be there to carry me to the top. I knew I could be confident because Daddy was with me.
Maybe you have or had a dad like mine, where you felt unstoppable when he was around, and you believed with your whole heart that with Daddy, you could do anything. Or maybe your dad wasn’t in the picture when you were a kid, and you don’t know what it is like to have an earthly dad that makes you feel loved and encouraged. But I want you to know, friend, that no matter what it looked like for you as you grew up, you have always had a Heavenly Father who is the most perfect version of any earthy dad you have encountered. His purpose since the beginning of creation has been to adopt you. He accomplished this purpose through Christ Jesus, when He gave up His one and only Son for you so that you could be with Him forever (Ephesians 3:11, John 3:16).
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you now have confident access to God at any time of day, and He invites you to come to Him and pour out your heart to Him. Because of Christ’s blood, you have a Father and a Best Friend in God. You get to approach the throne of God with confidence because of what Jesus has done for you. This is affectionately called prayer.
Perhaps you have stopped coming confidently to God in prayer, or have stopped coming to His throne room in prayer altogether. I am so sorry if your circumstances have felt like giants surrounding you, suffocating you, stealing your joy, smothering your peace, destroying your relationships, and taking your life. Perhaps this is why you have lost confidence, or maybe it is because you have forgotten who your Father is? May I remind you who He is right now?
He is the One who calls you His and rejoices in it. He is the One who weeps with you because He knows what it’s like to be human. He is the One who promises to be at your side at all times, the One whose love is bigger than your sins, and the One who gave everything so that you would know how deeply you are loved.
On that pamper pole, even though I didn’t know what would happen next, I knew I could be confident because my daddy would be with me every step. You can have this confidence as you go about life, too. Even though what will happen next is unknown, you can walk into each day with confidence that God is your Helper, He will never leave you nor forsake you, He is for you, He will provide for you, and He loves you no matter what. When you’re on the pamper pole of life, afraid to take the leap of faith, remember Who you stand beside: a Mighty Warrior who can deliver, One who takes great delight in you, renews you by His love, and shouts for joy over you (Zephaniah 3:17).
When we shift our gaze to who our God is rather than who we are or what our circumstance looks like, there is abundant life, unspeakable joy, and overwhelming peace. God delights in every detail of His beloved’s life, and His beloved is you.
My prayer is that, when we pray, we would have an accurate view of the character of our Abba, Father God. His character is the reason we can be confident when we approach Him. We can pray with confidence and without doubt, for we know who our Father is.
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Let’s start the New Year right by focusing on prayer! As we set new goals and routines, let’s commit to filling our time with prayer first! The Importance of Prayer will walk through how we pray with boldness and confidence and how we grow in our faith as we connect with God through prayer. We would love for you to join us!
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This prayer study has come at a time when I needed it most. I’m just recovering from Covid and didn’t realize how much it would affect me emotionally. Sadness and a crushed spirit were overwhelming. But thanks to this study God has refreshed my spirit. Thank you and praise to our Lord.