FORGIVENESS AND THE EFFECTIVE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

One of the most powerful tools that God gave us is prayer. What can I do so God will forgive me? I don’t feel like God will forgive me! Many people get frustrated and discouraged. The first thing we must do is recognize our sin, our fault, what we have done to violate God’s commandments. Even though we can offend other people through our mistakes, the most important thing to do is admit that we have offended God. Acts 24:16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, oh God, according to your loving-kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

The next step is to pray to God and confess our sin. This is very important. There can be no prayer if we do not recognize our sin. We cannot present ourselves before God if we are not conscious of our fault against Him. Psalm 32:5 I acknowledged my sin to you. And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgression to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

God is ready to forgive. Psalm 86:5 For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. When God forgives, He does it completely; erasing all our sins. Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins. God does not want you to continue doing the same things. He is searching for hearts with a deep sorrow that will lead us to repentance while at the same time producing a change of attitude. 2 Cor. 7:10 For Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. We must make a change in our conduct. Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Today can be a day of forgiveness. To pray is to speak with God. Prayer is that which connects us spiritually with God and travels further than the physical and material. The only thing God wants is to hear your heart, your voice, and what it is that you need. Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. The prayer of faith means to trust God. 1 John 3:22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments. Also because of Jesus. 1 Tim 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. A righteous man is a man who is accepted by God because of his faith in Christ. Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus was on the cross, he pleaded with the Father for forgiveness!!! Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.

Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

We give you thanks in Jesus Christ. Amen.