What Does it Mean That the Prayer of a Righteous Man Avails Much?
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God calls every believer to pray. Prayer isn’t an obligation or religious duty but part of our purpose. We’re all responsible to use the privilege of access to the throne room of the Father to help ourselves and others.
Jesus gives us models for prayer and instructions. Following his teaching, our intercession can have a meaningful impact. At the same time, we waste time if we pray in the wrong ways.
As one such instruction for prayer’s great impact, the Bible tells us, “The prayer of a righteous man avails much.” This element of prayer challenges us and likely convicts us. What does this tell us about prayer and our calling to intercede for others?
Where Does the Bible Say the Prayer of a Righteous Man Avails Much?
“The prayer of a righteous man avails much” comes from James 5:16.
James (half-brother of Jesus and a Jerusalem church leader) writes his letter to Jewish Christians in the Roman Empire. Probably written around AD 44-49, it’s one of the earliest New Testament writings. Key themes include the relationship between faith and works, perseverance through trials, the power of controlling speech, and living a holy life.
Chapter 5 involves faith, the community, and prayer’s importance during times of suffering and sin. James begins by calling the suffering to pray and the cheerful to sing praises. For the sick, James tells the church elders to pray over them along with anointing with oil in the name of the Lord. Such prayer in faith, he says, will heal the sick. Along with prayer, he encourages confessing sin in order to achieve restoration with God and others. Along with this restoration, James writes, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” He connects restoration of righteousness in the community with prayer that works.
The Greek word here for righteous is dikaios, meaning a person who is just, upright, and in right standing with God. This supports the context and describes the character of the intercessor. The term avails is translated from the Greek ischyo, which means “to be strong, prevail, or have power.” This availing prayer endures and has victory. A righteous person’s prayer achieves much through God’s intervention.
After this statement, James uses the narrative of Elijah to serve as an example. The prophet, although personally frail, obeyed God and prayed fervently, and his prayers controlled the rain in Israel. Elijah’s ministry showed the power of prayer within God’s will.
What is the Symbolism of Priests under the Law?
The Old Testament provides a background for what God expects of intercessors. In the Mosaic Law, God instructed priests to stand as mediators between God and his people. The Levitical priesthood is full of symbolism and instruction to show us how they needed to be holy to approach God.
Priests came from the tribe of Levi, and their duties included offering sacrifices, sustaining the Tabernacle, and standing before God for the people. However, before the priests could serve, they needed to be sanctified and purified for their holy (set-apart) role.
Purification involved being washed with water, symbolizing cleansing from sin, like a baptism. No one can approach God without being made clean. Priests then wore sacred garments according to God’s specifications. These garments symbolized righteousness, holiness, and how all twelve tribes stood with them (through the breastpiece). Sanctification followed with anointing with oil and blood and making sacrifices. The oil symbolized the Holy Spirit. The sin offering provided atonement for sins and dedicated them to God for service.
Once purified and sanctified, priests could then intercede for the people. They offered sacrifices on the peoples' behalf. The high priest particularly could enter the most holy place once a year on the Day of Atonement. There, he would sprinkle blood upon the mercy seat to atone for the sins of Israel, symbolizing direct intercession before the throne of God in heaven.
All this symbolism teaches a combination of God allowing a way for intercession and how humanity needed to participate in righteousness and holiness. A non-set-apart person could not approach God. Now, under the New Covenant, Jesus becomes the substance of the symbol. He’s the High Priest, offering himself as the Lamb of God, once for all. This leads to eternal redemption.
What Verses Support the Importance of Righteousness in Prayer?
Several verses in the Bible support the truth of how righteousness plays a key role in victorious prayer. As the wisdom of Proverbs 15:29 says, “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.” Also, Psalm 34:15 tells us, “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are attentive to their cry.” The righteous have a closer relationship with God and can properly pray for others.
The Old Testament gives examples of people whose righteous character positioned them as special intercessors. In Ezekiel 14:14, God explains how he won’t turn back from his judgment, since Judah’s sin was so great. As proof, the Lord states, “Even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness.” These three men had a legendary, transformative status before God. Noah was known as the only righteous man “in his generation.” Daniel’s faith led to his ability to interpret dreams and endure persecution in Babylon and Persia. God praised Job’s righteousness in a conversation with the Devil.
These passages support how righteousness through faith and obedience allows us to powerfully intercede for others in our community. Through Christ, we receive his Spirit, and this gives us bold access to the heavenly throne.
What Verses Show How Sin Can Hinder Effective Prayer?
As Christians, works do not save us, and we’ve been given privileged, heavenly access. However, if we continue in sin and selfishness, our prayers will be hindered. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns against hypocrisy in prayer. Prayers for attention or self-glory lose their impact.
In 1 Peter 3:7, Peter gives a very specific example of how a man’s behavior with his wife can impact prayers. “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” Why would God care this much? In another letter, Paul compares a husband and wife to Christ and the Church. God instituted marriage before the Fall, and it therefore should reflect a heavenly love. When a husband fails to treat his wife with equality and respect, he’s lying with his actions about how Christ loves the Church. This blocks his prayers.
James writes about how we shouldn’t use prayer for selfish motives. “You ask and do not receive, because ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). The motivation of our hearts matters. When we treat God as a big Santa Claus to get what we want, we abuse the privilege. God promises to give us what we need if we’ll seek the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33), and while we can pray to that end, asking for our own luxury or pleasure misses the point. God gives us prayer to align our hearts with his loving will, blessing others from the throne of God.
What Does the Bible Say about Jesus as High Priest?
The word Christian means “little Christ,” underscoring how people should see Christ in our words and actions. We are disciples of Jesus, learning our life and purpose from him.
Right now, in heaven before the Throne of God, Jesus serves as the eternal High Priest. He bridges the gap between us and a holy God. His perfect righteousness and Sonship assures his requests are heard and acted upon: “We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God … For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:14-16). The writer connects the work of eternal High Priest with a sinless life.
Unlike human high priests, Jesus didn’t need to offer sacrifices for his own sins. Instead, he offered himself for humanity (Hebrews 7:27). The Lamb of God’s willing sacrifice opened up the way for us to approach God with confidence, as Hebrews encourages us to “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” through Jesus’ atonement.
In prayer, our right living matters. It aligns us with God’s character and will. We approach God's throne in faith, but we must remember the context of James. Faith and a true heart lead to right living and action. Our selfish behavior belies a lack of faith and love, which hinders praying according to God’s will.
How is Prayer a Universal Calling for All Believers?
Prayer isn’t a spiritual gift, as if some participate in it and others don’t. The Bible calls all of us to pray. Through prayer, we commune with God, hear his voice, learn his will, find strength to obey, and intercede for others.
The apostle Peter names us all priests. “You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). In this verse, we get the idea of “the priesthood of all believers.” Unlike the Old Testament, where only Levites served, the New Covenant empowers all of us to approach God and intercede on behalf of others. Revelation 1:6 also communicates this, that Christ makes us “kings and priests to His God and Father.” Jesus does this through the indwelling Spirit of Christ. With the High Priest within us, we have the power, privilege, and responsibility to pray for the world.
Properly fulfilling this role requires a life of repentance and works consistent with repentance (Acts 26:20). Our prayers gain power through obedience and relying upon grace. John 15:7 also confirms this when Jesus says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Choosing to sin with selfish motives proves the opposite of abiding in Christ and his word.
Here, we see why James precedes the power of a righteous person’s prayers with a way to be restored through confession. Confession and connecting with the faith community set our hearts right again. Then we are able to pray according to God’s will, in his name, and we will experience the victory of those prayers.
Peace.
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