The Prayer Of A Righteous Man

November 2017 – Grace & Truth Magazine

The Prayer Of A Righteous Man

Certain songs stick with us over the years. One of them for me, written by Francis Toule Rath, is:

Did you ever talk to God above, tell Him that you need a friend to love, Pray in Jesus’ name believing that God answers prayers? Have you told Him all your cares and woes? Every tiny little fear He knows, You can know He’ll always hear and He will answer prayer. You can whisper in a crowd to Him, you can cry when you’re alone to Him,
You don’t have to pray out loud to Him – He knows your thoughts. On a lofty mountain peak He’s there, in a meadow by a stream He’s there,Anywhere on earth you go, He’s been there from the start. Find the answer in His Word; its true. You’ll be strong because He walks with you. By His faithfulness He’ll change you, too. God answers prayer.

Another children’s chorus, good for adults too, repeats the line “Read your Bible, pray every day.” If we read our Bibles we will come across these verses: “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 land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (Jas. 5:17-18 NKJV). The prophet Elijah displayed the power of God in ways not seen among men today. I can’t relate to him in that character, but these verses about his prayers that God answered speak of another aspect of Elijah’s nature: it was “like ours.” In view of this we can see that even our prayers offered in faith will see an answer. That is thrilling! The last half of verse 16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Are you righteous? Elijah was not righteous in himself, nor are we. God credits righteousness to a person because of his or her faith (see 2 Cor. 5:21). Tied with that, we read: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” (Rom 4:7). Are you forgiven by God? Have you accepted His offer of salvation? If not, do so today, and you will be counted as righteous too.

By Paul Alberts