Daily Devotional - God Answers the Prayers of the Righteous

The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. 
—James 5:16

When people struggle in their prayer lives, they often think it is because they are unholy and unrighteous so they try to behave better, hoping that then their prayers will be answered.

The truth is that if we are born again, we are righteous. We may not do everything right; but we are 100 percent righteous through Christ. Second Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (NKJV). There is a difference between righteousness and “right” behavior. Righteousness describes our standing—our position or condition before God—because of the blood of Jesus.

We cannot make ourselves righteous; only the blood of Jesus makes us righteous, as if we had never sinned at all. God views us as righteous even though we still make mistakes. Because He sees us as righteous, we have a God-given right to pray and expect God to hear and answer us. Always do the best you can to behave properly and do it because you love God, but remember that He hears and answers your prayers because He is good, not because you are.

God’s word for you today: You have been made righteous by the grace of God.