The Righteous Man's Prayer is Powerful, But Who is Righteous?

I have long had this in my head: The prayer of a righteous man is powerful. It was only recently, though, that this finally began to "apply" to me. I'd like to share a short devotional with you about what I've learned.


I like the New Living Translation, so here is its version of James 5:16, from which the saying above is derived:
"The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results."

Whenever I thought about praying, I thought to myself, "What's the point? I'm not a good person. I SUCK at doing what I know I should do. So obviously my prayers aren't going to be powerful." It was very discouraging to me. But in the past few weeks another line of thought began to accompany that old train. "But, wait a second, Caleb—'there is none righteous; no, not one.' Well, who is supposed to pray, then?"

Another saying that has been in my head since childhood is the command to "pray without ceasing." Steven Curtis Chapman made a good song about that concept to which I was introduced by WOW 1998 called "Let Us Pray" (click here to listen to it).

I was pretty sure I knew the answer to my own question. But who among us learns so easily?

Last week in my Bible reading, I read a particular parable Jesus told that really drove home the lesson I needed to learn. Here is Luke 11:5-10.

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

So here is my resolution: though my righteousness is as filthy rags, when I undertake to pray for something, I will pray without ceasing for it in the holy name of my Savior, the very one name under Heaven given among men whereby I am saved. I will shamelessly enter into the throne room of the Creator—who knit me together in my mother's womb, who has numbered the hairs on my head, who calls the stars by name, who provides for the lilies, and whose eye is on the sparrow—and boldly make my request in the powerful name of Jesus Christ!

I am no longer afraid to ask for anything. I have long believed that faith was one of my spiritual gifts; it is time for me to grow that faith some more. With faith the size of a mustard seed, I will say to the mountain, "Throw yourself into the sea," and it shall.

What mountains will you command? Don't limit yourself! Have you forgotten that Jesus cursed a fig tree for such a petty reason that it did not have fruit when he went up to it? (It's in Mark's gospel.) And did Jesus not tell us that we will do greater things than He? (It's in John's gospel.)

Don't be like the seeds sewn among weeds who started out strong but were choked out by the worries and fears of the world. Fear not! Worry not! Have faith! And know that our prayer is powerful because it is in the name of Jesus Christ who alone is righteous, who alone is worthy, and who alone stands with us before the Father and pleads our case (1 Jn 2:1).