John Woodhouse prays
I have always been helped by John Woodhouse's talks and writings (John is the principal of Moore Theological College). Here is some of his writing in the latest Moore College Prayer Bulletin (link is a pdf download):
There is a remarkable connection in the Bible between righteousness and prayer. ‘The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working’ (James 5:16). ‘The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.’ (Psalm 34:15). The converse of this was recognised by the man born blind, who was healed by Jesus: ‘We know that God does not listen to sinners ...’ (John 9:31). Both sides are expressed in the proverb: ‘The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous’ (Proverbs 15:29). On the one hand this must remind us that real prayer depends on our being right with God, by his grace. Only the forgiven children of the Father, who are righteous in his sight because of Jesus (cf. Romans 3:26; 1Corinthians 1:30), can expect their prayers to be heard. Consciousness of our righteousness before God ought to lead to confidence in our prayers. Are you righteous in God's sight? Then pray! ‘He hears the prayer of the righteous.’
On the other hand we cannot expect to be people who really pray unless our righteousness before God is important to us. Honest (rather than some kind of legalistic) calling on God will only come from hearts that long to live ‘as God's chosen ones’ (Colossians 3:12). It is not possible to truly bring our requests to him without at the same time yearning to please him in all things (see Colossians 3:12-14). Therefore the connection between prayer and righteousness extends to practical obedience in our lives. ‘Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him’ (1 John 3:21, 22).
“Are you righteous in God's sight? Then pray!” says John Woodhouse, for “he hears the prayer of the righteous” (Prov 15:29).
These words are a great comfort, and a spur to action as well. Did you notice that Woodhouse simply assumes that we can know that we are righteous? If someone doesn't know God, this sort of talk comes across as a most disgusting piece of personal arrogance and conceit. Those who don't know God read claims like this as pride in its purest form: how dare somebody think that they are righteous (that is to say, ‘not guilty’ in the eyes of God) and then act accordingly! They deserve not salvation, but censure and condemnation.
This is the matter at the heart of it. Of course they deserve censure and condemnation. So do we! That's what the Bible teaches, and we know in our heart of hearts that this is true of ourselves as well. But because Jesus died in our place, no condemnation is left, and the only thing that remains is to thank the Lord God that he provided complete satisfaction for our sins through the death of his Son.
And if we know we are righteous, we can pray. God will hear us, and he will answer.