Prayers of The Righteous

As Christians, we believe in the power of prayer, even if we don't r actually pray all that often. When we're facing a difficulty, we tend to up our game a bit, however.  We pray for ourselves and we pray for others.

But when we're in a big bind or really sick, we up the ante and call on someone we think has the ear of God, we ask our preacher to pray. If we're in a hospital, we're likely to ask for the chaplain. There may be someone else, but it is because we feel he/she is more righteous than us. 

You likely have heard or may have quoted, what you thought was James 5:16, "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."  Actually that is only half of the passage.  The first half reads, "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."

The prayer of the righteous, which we covent in times of duress, does not come from an ordination or a license or a degree.  The prayer of the righteous comes out of a willingness to confess.  James says confess to and pray for one another for healing, as those humbled, honest and authentic prayers come from righteousness and will be heard.

Jus' Sayn.