As we step into 2026, none of us knows what the year will bring. Some seasons carry joy and celebration, while others bring trials that test our strength. Yet one truth remains certain: without direct fellowship with Jesus Christ, we lack the resources to face whatever lies ahead. This year’s theme at Faithway Baptist Church, “Come Boldly,” calls us to confident prayer rooted in the finished work of our great High Priest. Drawing from Hebrews 4:14-16, Pastor Léveillé reminds us that prayer is not optional but essential, the lifeline that connects needy people to a sufficient Saviour.
Anchor Your Soul in the Finished Work of Christ (vs. 14)
The book of Hebrews was written to believers tempted to drift back to old ways when following Christ grew difficult. After sobering warnings about unbelief and its consequences, the tone shifts in chapter 4 with the words “seeing then.” In light of all that has been said, we are pointed not to fear but to faith. We have a great High Priest who has passed into the heavens: Jesus, the Son of God.
Unlike the earthly high priests who entered the Holy of Holies once a year with fear and bells on their garments, Jesus has entered heaven itself. He lives forever to intercede for us at the right hand of the Father. This finished work gives us unshakable confidence. Prayer becomes a confession of faith that Jesus is sufficient. When we pray, we declare that He is alive, that He cares, and that our profession of faith rests entirely on Him. As Pastor Wang Yi wrote from a Chinese prison, even when everything else is stripped away, Christ still reigns and speaks for us from heaven. In unstable times, we hold fast by coming often to the Lord in prayer.
Trust the Heart of a Saviour Who Understands (vs. 15)
A common fear lingers: yes, Jesus is great, but does He truly understand my struggles? The answer rings clear. We do not have a High Priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.
Jesus knows exhaustion from ministry, rejection from family, false accusation from authorities, and the cost of perfect obedience. He felt weariness at the well in John 4. He faced mockery and abandonment. When we bring our fears, confusion, or emotional collapse to Him, we speak to One who has lived the human experience without failing. Pastor Andrew Brunson, imprisoned in Turkey on false charges, discovered this truth in isolation. He stopped trying to pray “strong” prayers and began praying honestly, resting in the fact that Jesus had stood in his place before unjust courts and remained faithful.
Prayer is safest when it is most honest. We need not hide weakness from the One who already knows our frame and remembers we are dust. He is never tired of our need; He is moved by it.
Step into the Presence of Grace with Holy Audacity (vs. 16)
Because Christ’s work is complete and because He sympathises with our weakness, we are invited to come boldly unto the throne of grace. This boldness is not arrogance but confident dependence. God does not tell needy people to “go” somewhere else for help; He says “come.”
The throne we approach is not one of judgment but of grace, where we obtain mercy for failures and find grace to help in time of need. Mercy withholds the punishment we deserve; grace bestows the good we could never earn. Whether confessing sin, facing impossible situations, or simply lacking strength for the day, timely help awaits.
An Afghan believer under Taliban threat prayed openly in her home, knowing discovery could mean death. With no escape and no leverage, she came boldly to the throne of grace, asking for mercy and strength in the moment of danger. Her example echoes the heart of this passage: prayer is not a reward for the strong but a refuge for the needy.
Conclusion
As Faithway Baptist Church enters 2026, may we become a truly praying church. May prayer move from occasional practice to constant instinct, from appendix to lifeline. When needs arise, and they will, let us not delay or turn elsewhere first. Let us come quickly, frequently, honestly, and confidently to our great High Priest. He has made the way open, the throne is gracious, and the invitation stands: come boldly to obtain mercy and find grace to help in every time of need.
