DAY 9
James 5:16
“Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for each other, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
I don’t know about you but the word “righteous” seems a bit intimidating to me. Mostly because by definition it means to be morally right, and free from guilt or sin. Even though sometimes I try, I could never achieve this on my own. Righteousness simply means that I am right with God. Not perfect in any way but in the right relationship with my heavenly father. Even though God hears our prayers, James is simply saying that when we are in right relationship with him our prayers are powerful and effective. Certainly not by our power, but by his, because he is perfectly righteous in every way. The bible teaches that sin separates us from God and that we can't rectify our own sin. Jesus forgave our sin when he died on the cross and rose again.
During this time of personal fasting and prayer I am reflecting on areas in my life that may hinder my relationship with Jesus, otherwise I just skip through life wondering why my prayers don’t feel very effective or powerful. I hope you will join me and others as we reflect together how we can become more righteous in Christ, resulting in powerful and effective prayers.