Righteousness is right-standing with God. Your righteousness is vitally important in the field of prayer. We see in Ephesians 6 that righteousness is a breastplate.
Your right-standing with God gives you the right to approach God in prayer without a sense of guilt, sin or condemnation. There is a confidence you experience, knowing that you will receive when you ask in faith, believing.
Every man, whether he is a sinner or part of the family of God, has a God-given right to pray and expect results. Romans 3:21-23 says, "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The Apostle Paul said that the right to expect God to answer your prayers is upon all and unto all them that believe. No man on earth deserves God's righteousness. But when he receives Jesus as Lord, he is placed in right-standing with God. He is made the righteousness of God by grace through faith.
The Word says that God is not holding sin against the world (2 Cor. 5:17-21). He sent Jesus to take your place. If you recognize this and let Him be your righteousness, God will answer your prayer as if Jesus Himself prayed it.
When you realize that, you have your breastplate of righteousness working for you. You have something priceless working in your life.
You may think you are the worst sinner the world has ever seen. Any man who considers himself so far gone that God cannot reach him, must think that he is bigger than God.
Through the new birth Jesus has made us the righteousness of God through Calvary. No sin that Satan could dream up is big enough to change that!
Romans 5:17 says, "For if by one man's offense death reigned by one...." That, of course, was the offense committed by Adam in the Garden of Eden.
It brought death into the earth. "...Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." As born-again believers, we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ.
Therefore, we have been given the ability to reign in this life. We must take advantage of our right-standing relationship with God. It is then that we will see the results we desire in prayer.
James 5:16 says, "...The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." You may have read that verse of scripture and thought, You know, if I were just righteous....
Jesus died for you! The righteousness He bought for you at Calvary is more than enough to make your prayers effective.
God is moved when a man believes His Word. Romans 5:17 says that righteousness is a gift. Romans 3:21-22 says, "...[It is] unto all of them that believe."
If you are believing, then James 5:16 is true when it says that your prayer will avail much. Faith qualifies you for answered prayer!
You have a God-given right to expect God to answer your prayer. Don't let the devil deceive you into thinking that God will not answer. Jesus said that whatsoever shall ask the Father in His Name, He will give it to you.
As long as you can pray believing, you will not be defeated. If you know your right-standing with God, you will not be overcome.
Excerpt permission granted by
Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries