"..In whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him [that is, our faith gives us sufficient courage to freely and openly approach God through Christ]." Ephesians 3:12 AMP
Where does confidence come from? What does it look like and how do you become more confident? Worldly confidence can be described as a feeling of being self-assured. For example, have you ever attended an event where there was a VIP area? If you are the VIP, then you know that you have permission to access the area. This is as a result of being confident in your VIP status.
The same is true for us as believers. When we became born again, we were given access to the fullness of God, the throne room of God and the relationship that Jesus has with the Father. Praise God! As believers, we have a godly assurance and are not reliant on our feelings to determine our status. Have a look at these four keys to opening that door to godly confidence.
1. Call on God
“On the day I called, You answered me; And You made me bold and confident with renewed strength in my life.” Psalm 138:3 AMP
When we call on Jesus we are quickened and made alive by his Word and the Holy Spirit. Jesus said “… the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63) His response gives us confidence that he is already acting on our behalf. The Word goes to work immediately on the inside of us. Why? Because we are speaking His Words back to Him. This is the confidence that we have in Him;
- God’s Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11)
- God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19)
- God answers when we call (Psalm 138:3)
The apostle Paul put it this way, “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:1) Praise God! Calling on Jesus is how were saved and it is how we remain confident.
2. Believe in God
“Most blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.” Jeremiah 17:7 AMPC
When we believe The Word and trust in Jesus, we are blessed. This is what Jeremiah is describing here – the confidence in knowing that God alone is our source and we can always rely on him. Proverbs 10:22 states that” The blessing of the Lord – it makes (truly) rich , and He adds no sorrow with it”. This is a great and powerful promise from the Lord for us to take possession of. The Blessing is the empowerment to succeed in every area of our lives. This means that believing in God causes us to hope and changes our circumstances too!
This is exactly what happened in Nehemiah 8:9, when the Word of the Lord was read aloud. The people wept because they remembered that they believed in God. The confidence of the people grew out of this reminder that their belief and reliance was in God. The instruction that came afterwards was, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
Believing comes from hearing what God has to say about something, then meditating and confessing this word until it becomes a reality. Believing is a fundamental key to our confidence and faith in God.
3. Speak God’s Word
When we have the confidence that comes from Jesus, there is a tangible boldness that emanates from us. We become a witness to others that Jesus is alive and living on the inside of us. Look at what happened in the book of Acts,
“Now when the men of the Sanhedrin (Jewish High Court) saw the confidence and boldness of Peter and John, and grasped the fact that they were uneducated and untrained [ordinary] men, they were astounded, and began to recognize that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13 AMP
This means that we can have confidence every day, even during difficulties, that Jesus has already overcome the world. That’s not all! – speaking in our heavenly language or praying in tongues is also a way to grow in confidence. In fact, Jude 1:20 says that when we do so we are building ourselves upon our most Holy Faith. This is a great gift to us as Spirit-filled believers. We have God’s Word to speak and a Heavenly tongue that gives us confidence and access to Him.
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have perfect peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.” John 16:33 AMPC
4. Have Faith in God
Faith in God is a major key to having confidence. When Jesus spoke, he did so with authority and the confidence of knowing that his Father had already given him the words to speak. This is the victory we have in Him. We have the same assurance that when we speak the words of Jesus, we speak with God’s power and authority. Having confidence in God is the absolute assurance that we have been given authority on this earth through Jesus.
“So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” Mark 11:22-23 NKJV
Psalm 116:10 declares that “I believed therefore I spoke” As you read these memory verses, let godly confidence arise. Believe and speak God’s Word and take hold of your God-given VIP status!
Memory Verses
- I can freely approach the throne of grace because I have confidence in God. (Ephesians 3:12)
- I am confident in Jesus and the promises of God because he has overcome the world. (John 16:33)
- I have Faith In God! When I ask in prayer, I believe that those things which I have said will be done. (Mark 11.23)
