When approaching God in prayer, most people only make it to the outer court, few people make it to the inner court and even fewer people make it to the throne and fewer still, stay before the throne long enough to be changed by His glory (those who do that really receive grace to impact the kingdom in mighty ways).
The LORD said to Mo...ses: "Tell your brother Aaron that he shall not enter at any time into the holy place inside the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark, or he will die; for I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. Leviticus 16:2
In the OT, there was the outer court, the inner court (Holy place) and the Most Holy Place (inner inner court). The worshippers and gentiles could only go into the outer court. The priests to the inner and the High Priest to the Holy of Holies where God's glory (literally) would rest above of the Mercy Seat (or Ark in other translations)
The thing is now with the blood of Jesus our great High Priest ANYONE can approach the throne of grace in the Most Holy place its OPEN, thats why the veil was torn in the temple when Christ died!
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16
We're told to approach the throne of God's grace, but many times we don't make it that far... in prayer, how many times do we stay in prayer and wrestle with God long enough that He blesses and gives us spiritual strength to walk with Him for that day?
Thye closer you get to the sun, the hotter it is. God is holy, The closer you get to God the more of His holy light He shines on your life, the more the impurities of the heart are burned away. However this is not a pleasant experience so most Chrisitans stay far off in the "outer court" where its "safe". But those who stay in the back don't get to see the full glory of God! (its sorta like being at concert but being in the very back except God is 93849384 better)
"Our God is a consuming fire" As Christians we must daily offer ourselves as sacrifices before God on the altar to be changed by Him so that we are ready to see Him face to face.
