The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16
Dear Lord Jesus, my prayer life, like many other parts of my discipleship, has suffered the effects of incomplete and gospel-lite teaching through the years. This one verse in James used to intimidate and discourage me from praying.
First of all, I used to assume that the only “good” answer to a prayer was a “Yes”. Secondly, I thought the health of my prayer life was directly related to my maturity as a Christian. The more righteous I was, the more inclined you’d be to to answer my prayers, quickly and the way I was “hoping.”
Thankfully, the gospel has been deconstructing and rebuilding my prayer life. I now understand that, most specifically, you are the only “righteous man,” whose prayers are powerful and effective. You are our great prayer warrior—ever living to pray for us, and ever so graciously, purifying our prayers as they rise to heaven (Heb. 7:24-25; John 17:20-23; Rom. 8:34).
The only claim to righteousness we have is the declared state of righteousness we have freely received in the gospel (Rom. 5:1-11). Because our lives are now hidden in you (Col. 3:1-4), because of our unbreakable union with you, Jesus, and because our permanent address is “in Christ,” we’ve been set free to pray with palms-up boldness.
You are the sovereign King who is reigning over all things, and actively working in all things, for your glory and our good; not a computer waiting to be programmed by us, or a disengaged deity waiting to be motivated or impressed with us. You are our great Bridegroom, who enjoys communing and fellowshipping with us in prayer—long before we even ask anything of you.
Oh, the joy of knowing your good answers to our prayers include “Yes,” “No, “Maybe,” “Not yet,” and “Not telling you”! Because the gospel is true, we will dance before you when you choose to release Peter from prison in answer to our prayers (Acts 12:5-17), and we will seek no less to delight in you when James is beheaded in prison, even as we plead otherwise (Acts 12:1-2).
Throughout eternity our testimony will be, “You have done all things well.” Why pray? Because you are God and we are not. Why pray? Because you command it, commend it, and commune with us through it. So very Amen we pray, in your high-priestly and most trustworthy name.