The people of the Old Testament could only pray after having their sins covered. Jesus’ death changed all that. Because of Him, we have direct access to God.
Now, we must have our sins forgiven. But, Jesus’ death did much more than what the old sacrifices did. They were a picture of what would be when he died for you. He didn’t just cover our sins. He removed our sins from us! So, you can be sure that you have direct access to the Lord. Provided, of course, that your sins have been forgiven. As we will see, this is why confession is an important part of prayer.
Once you have trusted Jesus to forgive you of your sin, you are on your way to Heaven. However, sin can hurt your relationship with God.
It’s like if a good friend hurts you. There is something between you and that friend. Things need to be made better before the friendship is perfect again.
Of course, you and your human friends are people. You see each as equals. I told a cousin, of about age six or seven, that, to start praying, he should let his mind focus on God. And, he could start just saying, “Hi, God, how was your day.” Then, he could tell God about his; what went good, what went bad, what he was sorry for, etc..
But, while you and your friends are equals, God isn’t. God came down to our level, remember; we can’t reach up to His. That means we must go boldly to Him, yet also humbly, realizing who we are.
