What is Righteous?

The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. Proverbs 15:29 (NIV)

The word PRAYER is mentioned 155 times in the NIV. But the words righteous and righteousness are mentioned 512 times...!

According to Proverbs 15 The Lord hears the righteous.

So WHO are the Righteous? What does it MEAN to be righteous?

Here is today's Meriam Webster Dictionary Meaning of the word 'righteous':

1: acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin

2 a: morally right or justifiable b: arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality

3 slang : genuine, excellent


huh...?


Here is the definition of 'righteous' from Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary :

1. Just; accordant to the divine law. Applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands in practice; as a righteous man. Applied to things, it denotes consonant to the divine will or to justice; as a righteous act. It is used chiefly in theology, and applied to God, to his testimonies and to his saints. The righteous, in Scripture, denote the servants of God, the saints.

2. Just; equitable; merited.


Well, the 1828 definition explains it MUCH more clearly...

If we want God to hear our prayers we can not be wicked. We must be righteous.

The Righteous ARE....

-Just.

-Holy In Heart.

-Observing the Lord's commands.

-Servants of God.

-The saints.

The Lord hears the prayers of these kinds of people...!