Choose Prayer, Not Despairਨਮੂਨਾ

The Core Elements of Righteousness, Humility, & Forgiveness

Element #4: Righteousness

James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Living aligned with God’s ways opens our hearts to hear His voice more clearly and removes hindrances to prayer. Through faith in Jesus, we are made righteous (having right standing with God). It is His righteousness that makes us holy, allowing us to approach God with a clean heart. Man’s righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6), but we are made righteous when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Romans 3:22-24 tells us: “We are made right with God [righteous] by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins” (NLT).

Principle: Righteousness, through faith in Jesus, makes our prayers more effective. We are not being self-righteous, where we think we are so good, but we know He has forgiven us of all our unrighteousness and made us clean.

Element #5: Humility

Second Chronicles 7:14 calls us to humble ourselves, acknowledging our need for God’s guidance. Humility keeps an open line of communication with God, allowing us to fully receive God’s grace. Proverbs 8:13 warns against pride, while James 4:6 promises grace to the humble. Being humble does not mean letting others walk all over you. It means knowing who you are in Christ, through whom we are empowered to live a victorious life.

Principle: Humbling ourselves before God allows us to experience the fullness of His presence—His character, love, and power.

Element #6: Forgiveness

Jesus teaches in Mark 11:25 that forgiveness is essential in prayer because holding on to bitterness can create a barrier between us and God. Forgiving others as God forgives us reflects His love and allows Him to work more freely in our lives.

God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to die for you and to forgive you of all your sins. How much more should you forgive those who have wronged you?

Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” Jesus replied, “No, not seven times…but seventy times seven!” (Matt. 18:21-22, NLT). While forgiveness doesn’t erase consequences—there are always consequences for actions, both positive and negative—it releases us from bitterness.

Principle: Forgiving others opens the way for effective prayer and frees us to experience God’s grace.