" . . . For we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies."
If we had to approach God, and present our petitions to Him based on our righteous deeds, we would never come to God, ever. Besides that, we would have no basis for our prayers, because we do not *have* any righteous deeds. Do we wish to compare ourselves to Daniel, and ima-
gine we are "better" than he was? I think not.
We come to God on the basis of Christ's righteousness, which is im-
puted to the saints, by sovereign grace. This is the ground on which we may rightly approach God. He will hear the prayers of those who come to Him on this principle. He disregards all other petitions.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Hell did not know what it did when it cru-
cified Christ; death, with all its armies, was put to death with Him."
--Richard Alleine, in "Heaven Opened"]
