Have you ever read something in the Bible that tripped you up? Maybe it does that to you even now. For example: “…The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16b). Another translation reads: “… The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”
But to walk in this great power, and experience these wonderful results, the one prerequisite is: you have to be RIGHTEOUS! And that is the problem for so many Christians. They feel disqualified to pray with power because they don’t feel righteous. They know they’ve fallen, failed or blown it.
But we need to realize something amazing—we can’t obtain righteousness. We become righteous through Jesus Christ!
In the Old Testament, men attempted to be “righteous” by their outward actions. But Jesus changed all that forever through HIS ACTION ALONE!
He took all our sin and nailed it to the Cross. It was the Great Exchange! The moment you were born again, you were made the righteousness of God in Christ! Our sins have been removed, and we are now righteous in God’s eyes. Hear me with your spiritual ears: You NO LONGER HAVE TO TRY to obtain righteousness— you ARE the righteousness of God—NOW!
Righteousness can’t be earned. It is a gift! Romans 5:17 says, “through the abundance of grace and the GIFT of righteousness, we reign in this life.”
By realizing you are NOW the righteousness of God, you now have the power to exercise your rights to reign over your problems, in Christ, through prayer!
Religion always gets you focused on what you’ve done wrong. BUT GOD focuses on what Jesus did right! And through His act of righteousness, you are now made righteous. That means 2 things:
- You are right WITH God.
- You have the rights OF the Son of God, since you are now one of His sons or daughters.
Now, we can go boldly before God, not in our holiness or what we’ve done; but as blood-bought righteous sons and daughters, appealing to our Father for whatever we need—without fear, shame, guilt, or condemnation!
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16
NOW you can approach God because there is no separation anymore; no barrier between you and Him. His blood has made the way! Now you can ask Him for whatever you need! And boldly declare to every mountain that it has to move, because you are the righteousness of God!
If all that is true (and it is!), why does it seem that your prayers are not being answered?
BECAUSE THE DEVIL HAS LIED TO US!
Satan has beaten us down with condemnation & guilt; and tried to convince us that we because we’re not holy all the time, we are disqualified to pray. That’s why we have to remember there is NO condemnation for those in Christ—Romans 8:1. Why is there no condemnation? Because we are now the righteousness of God; and He sees us just like He sees Jesus!
The devil has blinded Believers to the truth of who they are in Christ, blinded them to the truth that they can boldly ask God for His power, mercy & grace.
We NOW have the power to pray, because we are NOW the righteousness of God.
Prayer has the power to change nations! To change governments! To change economies! To change families! To change our health! To change EVERYTHING!
No wonder Satan doesn’t want you knowing you have the authority in Christ to walk in this miraculous power of prayer! He doesn’t want you to know the power you have!
The devil wants you to continue feeling powerless the rest of your life. And if he can keep you ignorant of your right-standing with God, then you will remain powerless to experience all that God has for you in prayer…
… All that He wants to do in your family, in your finances, in your health!
You name it, prayer changes EVERYTHING and Satan is robbing people of the power to pray. Ever hear a doctor say they have done everything they can for someone, then say, “All that’s left to do is pray.”
PRAYER IS NOT OUR LAST RESORT!
PRAYER IS THE FIRST RESORT!
Why do we try to fix things ourselves first? Why not start with boldly asking our Heavenly Father for whatever we need, and expect the miraculous results?
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” —Mark 11:24
Let’s tap into the invisible, supernatural, unlimited, miraculous source of power that God has so graciously afforded us! The power of PRAYER!!!
Prayer is more powerful than anything visible. More powerful than dynamite, than gasoline, than nuclear power! No matter how hard the world or the devil try, prayer can’t be thrown away! Prayer can’t be hidden! Prayer can’t be silenced! Prayer can’t be stopped! Prayer changes EVERYTHING! And you have this power available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year!
Look at what God goes on to say about the power of prayer:
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.” —James 5:17
The most incredible things of God can never be received any other way except through the instrument and the power and the authority of prayer.
God has given us a power that the devil trembles at—the power of prayer. Satan tried to sift Peter like wheat, but Jesus’ prayer turned him into a giant apostle that changed the world.
Prayer is our greatest untapped resource; it is the source of energy and power that man has been searching for, for thousands of years! It is the greatest source of prosperity. It’s the greatest source of peace. It’s the greatest source of joy; and it’s the greatest source of happiness.
Prayer, when done the way God intended, is simply the greatest source of power we have on this earth, and in this earth—our earthen vessels. It’s time to tap into its power. It’s time to pray and get results. It doesn’t have to take forever.
You have the power to blow the devil away—along with the problems he brings—like a keg of gunpowder through the miraculous power of prayer!
For more on this topic, watch this video on “The Miraculous Power of Prayer”: