GRACEFULL ACCESS

What if we've been missing out on the full access we've been granted?

One of the gifts we receive as adopted sons and daughters of God is access. Most of us understand that in terms of prayer. Through Christ, we have access to the Father (Ewwwphesians 2:18). We can come boldly before the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). As adopted sons and daughters, we cry, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15), confident that we are welcomed. Because of this, Jesus invites us to ask, seek, and knock, knowing our Father hears and responds (Matthew 7:7–8).

But lately I've been realizing that access means more than entry. Access is not merely being allowed into a place. It is being welcomed into a person's heart and mind.

A few years ago, while praying for my family's protection, the Holy Spirit gently corrected me. I was praying, but I was praying from fear. Fear may drive us to prayer, but we're not meant to remain there. Scripture calls us to stand firm, not to be afraid. As I prayed, I sensed the Spirit showing me that my feet were planted in fear rather than victory. I needed to move my feet.

Later, while praying for Ukraine, he corrected me again. This time I was praying from confusion rather than wisdom. Another morning I found myself praying from reaction rather than victory. Again, the Spirit invited me to move my feet. So I stopped praying and declared Scriptures of victory and truth. Gradually, I felt my spirit shift. I was no longer praying as someone trying to gain victory. I was praying as an Overcomer standing in the victory Christ had already won.

Now, when I pray, I often ask myself: Where are my feet planted? Because in Christ, I am not only standing here on earth, I am also seated with him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), united with Christ in his victory. That shift has changed the way I think about access.

My earthly father is a wonderful man (many of my readers know him!). He's also a rather forgetful professor with a mind that runs deep—really deep. Most people never gain access to what's on his heart and mind. When they get a glimpse, they're often overwhelmed by the depth of his thoughts.

As daughters, my sisters and I learned to linger and listen patiently. We learned to ask questions and wait. Over time, we gained access to thoughts and treasures that many others have never heard.

I think that's what the Spirit is inviting us into with God. Not simply access to his presence, but access to his perspective.

Scripture says that "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16). Just a few verses earlier, Paul explains that the Spirit "searches all things, yes, the deep things of God" and reveals them to us (1 Corinthians 2:10). Through the Spirit, we are invited into understanding that could never be discovered by human wisdom alone.

We are not outsiders knocking at a distant door. We are children welcomed into the family. The Spirit of adoption causes us to cry, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15), and if we are children, then we are heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). Through him, "we both have access by one Spirit to the Father" (Ephesians 2:18).

That access is more than permission to approach God. It is an invitation to know his heart, discern his thoughts, and see from his perspective.

When I sit quietly with Scripture and ask God what is on his heart about a situation, I am not trying to convince him to tell me something. I am leaning into a relationship that already grants me access.

The invitation is not merely to enter the throne room.

Grace extends the invitation to come close enough to hear the Father's thoughts.