The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James 5:16b

Maybe that title is a little overwhelming and it’s easy for us to think, “If that’s the qualification, then I’m certainly unqualified and might as well give up now.”  It’s true that the word ‘righteous’ may sound discouraging, but it shouldn’t threaten us if we think about it properly.

In the first place, if we have been justified by faith, we stand before God with a righteousness that is not our own.  If we think that we can come before God through our own righteousness, we’re not understanding the gospel correctly. The Word of God is very clear that because of our sinful nature, our own righteousness will never satisfy God’s holy justice. As Paul states, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Rom. 3:23-24)

To be justified is to be declared righteous. God does not do that on the basis of any merit in us, but only by grace (undeserved favor). It is His gift to forgive all our sins and clothe us with Christ’s perfect righteousness. In theological terms it’s called “imputed righteousness.”  Imputed means to be attributed to or accredited to. It’s Christ’s righteousness that has been attributed to us. That’s the standing of everyone who has trusted in Christ. So ‘righteous’ refers to our standing in Christ. 

But this also refers to our spiritual walk – what we would call ‘practical righteousness.’ This does not, however, imply perfection, or no one could qualify. Elijah wasn’t a perfect man. He feared the wicked queen Jezebel and fled from her and he was depressed and felt like giving up because he thought he was the only godly person left in Israel. To be righteous means to walk uprightly before God, admitting and confessing all known sin, and seeking to obey God in every area of life. Our prayers are not heard because of our own worthiness or sinless track record. But if we are aware of unconfessed sin in our hearts, we will not feel confident in drawing near to God. The psalmist says (Ps. 66:18), If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

Therefore, we should always draw near to God in prayer on the basis of the worthiness and merit of Jesus Christ. Yet at the same time, we should examine our hearts to make sure that we are not harboring any known sin. We do not need to be perfect, but we do need to walk in the light, turning from all known sin.