When Righteous Men Pray!
The earnest heartfelt, continued prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working – James 5:16 AMPLC
When righteous men pray, they know their standing and their qualified position before the throne of righteousness. They come boldly into His presence knowing their standing of confidence and their relationship with the God All-powerful. God recognizes friendship and fellowship and out of that is born a relationship of trust and confidence. Everyone in the Hebrews 11 called the heroes of faith understood their calling, and their righteousness for faith to work. They all had the foundation of the promise just like Jacob wrestled. They all fought the good fight of faith to gain a spiritual soundness in their faith that gave them access into the Kingdom of God! Abraham made his righteousness work for him when he stood in the gap praying for Lot and his family. When he decided to walk with God and give Him Glory, he became fully persuaded to believe what God said that he would become the father of faith. His relationship and understanding of who God is through his obedience that he could come to God in RIGHTEOUSNESS knowing his bond to speak to Him and not being cast out. When he saw the acts of God, He gave Glory that made His relationship stronger. And that made Abraham press in not just to KNOW HIM but to be a vessel that this God of Righteousness could flow through a human that was not perfect. When God sees your heart is committed, He will move heaven and earth to hear your cry and see that those desire comes to pass!
Elijah was a man whose passions were just like we are. His right standing with God gave his prayer tremendous power because scripture says that the rain stopped, and the heavens closed at Elijah’s word. Three and a half years it did not rain. He prayed again and the rain came that he had so much of the Glory on him that he outrun Ahab chariots for 21 miles. The Glory in his words carried him into the supernatural. When he called down fire on the altar and killed the prophets of Baal. Elisha’s bones carried so much Glory he raised a man from the dead. The double portion of Righteousness!
Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah. If he could find 50 righteous the city would not be judged but could not find 10 righteous. Because Abraham believed he was counted for righteousness, faith began to work as he became fully persuaded and convinced in his mind that what God had promised is so! Righteousness opens the door to the promises of God!
David’s victories, battles, failures, and successes were based on his righteous heart. In sin, his heart was contrite to repent, and God restored his attitude. In victories, he knew that all praise honour, and glory belongs to Him who is worthy. In battles, he heard the voice of God because He heard righteousness and how to overcome the enemy. His righteous heart brought him into the presence of God understanding the character of God in worship manifesting the Glory! David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him” (Rom. 4:6-8). Righteousness made his prayer touch heaven through the anointing.
Moses could pray and stand in the gap for Israel to go into the Glory because he understood his righteousness! When he interceded for Israel scripture said that God changed His mind or went in a different direction. Does it mean did he made God do something that He did not want to do? No God wanted to see where Moses’ heart was, he still angry. He knew that they would accuse God that He would bring them into the desert to kill them. God wanted to see if the vision that was in his heart was still strong enough for him to fulfill. When he came down with the 10 commandments his righteous anger at the golden calf because he just came out of the Glory for 40 days. Righteousness caused him to go into the Glory! What he saw in the cleft of the rock!
Rahab’s inheritance brought her redemption in God’s judgment! Salvation came to her as part of Jesus’ linage because of her righteousness in protecting the spies. Her obedience to hang the red scarlet! Righteousness brought her redemption.
Job overcame all obstacles, and the enemies’ plans because of his right standing and his upright heart he prayed for his friends and got double back and was blessed beyond measure. He had the revelation of who God is in Righteousness as His deliverer!
Jesus our perfect example stood in the gap tempted in all points and did not sin because righteousness by faith caused Him to overcome. Why did He see and do all the miracles and healings, yes He was anointed. What opened the door – righteousness by faith not the law gave Him access to the Father through relationship and fellowship. I can only do and say what I hear and see the Father do. For me John 11 Jesus makes this statement, if you believe you will see the Glory, Jesus lifted His eyes to heaven and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard Me! And I know that You hear me always! Righteousness gave Him access because He knew the Father! And He could function out of that and fulfil His calling! When Jesus was crucified, He become sin, so that we who had the sin were made His Righteousness, so that we can function and fulfil the same ministry and calling to minister the same way Jesus touched the sick, depressed, lonely – those who have been touched by sin making them whole! John 17 comes into fullness when Jesus says – FATHER GIVE THEM THE SAME GLORY THAT WE HAVE THAT THEY MIGHT BE ONE AS WE ARE ONE! PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS MAKES US ONE WITH EVERYTHING THAT GOD’S DIVINE NATURE IS!
