In James 5:16 we read these Words, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Or in The King James translation it reads, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Let me ask you the question, Can you pray the prayer of a Righteousness Person? Many (if not most) Christians would answer that question, with one or more of several excuses. Something like this, “Oh no, not me, I can’t seem to pray very well.”
Well, God intends for every one of His Children to be able to pray the prayer of a Righteous Person. You can too! Here’s how you can do it. First understand these truths from God’s Word.
1. When we trust in Jesus and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, God
forgives us of all our sin and cleanses us of all unrighteousness.
2. Then He places His Righteousness within us,
3. He seals us with His Holy Spirit,
4. He adopts us into His family.
5. He makes us Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ.
6. God calls us “The Very Righteousness of God.”
7. He also calls us “A Holy People,” and “Saints.”
8. As His Children we have His Nature – He makes us a New Creation!
9. We are “Branches” in The True Vine – Jesus Christ.
10. We are “Hidden” in Jesus Christ!
11. We are part of The Church – The Body of Christ
12. Jesus Christ is our “Head.”
13. We are Citizens of Heaven.
We are to pray from OUR POSITION IN CHRIST not from our feelings. We may feel “unrighteous” but we are in fact “Righteous” because God Himself has declared us so! Dare we contradict God!
If we sin (and we all do) then we need to be forgiven of our sin and cleansed of it. As long as there is unconfessed sin in our lives it separates us from God – it erects a barrier between us and God. Fortunately, God has provided an INSTANT WAY for us to be forgiven and cleansed. In 1 John 1:9-10 we read this promise, “If we confess our sins, He (GOD) is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He then fills us with His Righteousness and we then can immediately pray from the position of a Righteous Person. Let’s be sure to recognize that we pray from a position of Righteousness and this is GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS – NOT OUR OWN. (Remember, our own “self-righteousness” is as “filthy rags” in God’s Sight!)
The Bible clearly states that our personal righteousness is as “filthy rags in the sight of God.” As Daniel prayed in Daniel 9:17-19 (17) "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. (18) "O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. (19) "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name." Daniel got it right! He prayed to God from his “Position” of Righteousness and appealed to God on the basis of God’s Great Love. Daniel noted that he had NO MERIT of his own on which to base his prayer to God. We need to do the same. We “throw” ourselves on The MERCY OF GOD! THANK GOD, HE IS MERCIFUL –HIS MERCY IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING –IT HAS NO END! We should always stand in awe of God’s Great Mercy, Love, and Grace!
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Pastor J. Gilbert Hammond