Last time we spoke about how when we approach God,
we tend to be too casual and even a little assuming of how we approach God’s throne.
We tend to brush off any protocol thinking that all the old passed away. However, that is not what Jesus himself told us;

Matthew 5:17-18 English Standard Version (ESV)
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
So we have assumed a lot, heard messages from preachers not studying them out ourselves. We feel that we can come in, wearing anything we want. Many times assuming we can talk to Him in any tone we desire.

This assumption is wrong, there is preparation and consideration that needs to take place if we want to invoke the best response.
So much of the time we feel we can eat or drink anything we want, listen to or watch anything we want, without any consequences of our actions. Now Paul does tell us that many of these things are permissible but not all are profitable.

So if not all things are profitable and we are seeking favor from our king, why do we focus on the unprofitable not denying ourselves so we can bring ourselves into a place of favor?
Yes, He accepts and loves us as we are, but how we approach Him is not about what we want. This all revolves around His desires. If what we are eating, drinking, listening to on the radio or watching TV and it interferes with us hearing Him or it consumes us, then we need to re-think what our goals.

Are we just seeking with half of our heart?
Do we really want what we are seeking after?
Why does it seem that most of the time that we allow so much to revolve around what we want and not focusing on Him?
Now let’s look at the example of Esther:
Why did Esther prepare herself?

In c. 479 – c. 465 BC when she was queen to approach the king without an invitation was to die, if he did not approve by extending his scepter. So if the Queen of the land, the one who was so beautiful that she took the former Queen’s place, out shinning all the competition, approached using the protocol needed to gain favor to see the king. How do we not see a correlation in how we approach the King of Kings?
This was an earthly king, a mortal man, not an eternal deity. Yet there was protocol; there was preparation. How much more do we, when seeking the favor of our king, need to use proper protocol?

Esth 4:10-11
10 Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, 11 “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard and who has not been summoned—the death penalty. Only if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last[b] 30 days.”
So to approach the king, without proper protocol, was death. In the same way if we want to be accepted, to be properly recognized, to gain the most favor with our creator, then we must approach our King the King of Glory with proper protocol. When we do,

He will extend the scepter of acceptance to us and poor out His love and delight.
So how do we approach the King of Kings? King David answers this question in the Psalms;

Psalm 100:4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
So when we approach our King we need to approach with thanks-giving, praise and blessings. When we do, we gain favor, compounded by grace, mixed with mercy, which leads to joy.

God is a good father, he wants what is best for us. He will ultimately show grace and mercy on all of us, but if we want favor, we must display it just as the child who displays affection to their parent gains favor.

When we demonstrate our love and affection and intentionally approach Him in humility and praise, we place ourselves in a position where He can lift us up.