There’s a classic TV game show called “Let’s Make a Deal” that features a simple concept: You pick what’s behind door number 1, 2, or 3, and then make a deal with the host.
In the eternal “Let’s Make a Deal,” there are also three doors. Behind door number 1: You have sinned, and that means God, who is perfect, cannot let you into his perfect heaven. You reject his offer to cleanse you of your sins, so you go to hell. Door number 2: You have sinned, and you try to make up for it by doing some good things. But you can never be good enough to match God’s holiness—and you’ll still spend eternity separated from him. Door number 3: You submit to God’s plan and let Jesus cleanse you of your sins. Jesus Christ says, “Here’s the deal: I’ll take all of your guilt and sin, and I’m going to give you all of my goodness. You can spend eternity in heaven with me.”
What a deal!
In fact, it’s the best news in the world. Heaven is a perfect place. You’re not getting there with all your badness. You’re only getting there with all of God’s goodness, but it’s already been paid for and it’s free—it’s a gift God offers you. Why? Because God is a good God. It’s the best deal you’re ever going to get!
Romans 4:25 says that Jesus “died for our sins and rose again to make us right with God, filling us with God’s goodness” (TLB).
So what does that have to do with prayer? It has everything to do with prayer. If you don’t understand this, you’ll never understand prayer.
What God did for you at the cross makes prayer possible.
The Bible says, “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Romans 8:32 NLT).
Do you see the logic of this verse? When Jesus Christ died for you on the cross, he solved your biggest problem. So any other problem you have in your life is small potatoes! If Jesus Christ, because of his goodness, died for you, don’t you think he loves you enough to help you with your bills and your health and your relationships? There is nothing you can’t bring to God in prayer.
If Jesus loved you enough to die for you, he loves you enough to answer your prayer
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
What request have you withheld from God because you thought it was too much to ask?
How will you now approach God with your request in light of the cross?
Why would someone reject the free gift God offers of imparting his goodness on us?
Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
The Bible says we all fall short of God’s perfect standard. Yet God still loves us—even though we sin and we’re flawed. In fact, God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus, to cleanse us from our sins, and to bring us into the family of God.
If you’ve never accepted God’s love and invited Jesus into your heart, I want you to have that opportunity now. If the words of this prayer express your heart, then let God know that by praying them as a way of saying yes to Jesus?
“Dear God, I don’t understand it all, but I thank you that you love me. I thank you that you are for me and that you didn’t send Jesus to condemn me but to save me.
“I confess that I have sinned against you, and I admit I need Jesus as my Savior. I want a relationship with Jesus. I want to follow him and do the things he tells me to do.
“I ask you to save me from my past, my regrets, my mistakes, my sins, my habits, my hurts, and my hang-ups.
“I ask you to save me for your purpose. I want to know why you put me on this planet. And I want to fulfill what you made me to do. I want to learn to love you and trust you and be in your family forever. In your name I pray, amen.”
If you just prayed that prayer, let me know by emailing me at Rick@PastorRick.com. I want to encourage you in your journey with Jesus and send you some free materials to help you take your first steps.
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