8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

Conviction

So often when we think of conviction, we think of feeling horrible about our sins. While that is an element of conviction and it is necessary to repentance from time to time. The kingdom of God is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We weren't meant to wake on egg-shells in the presence of God. In fact the presence causes us to come out of hibernation and act with great boldness. God wants us convicted by the Spirit of his very own righteousness within us. His righteousness in us makes his world appear here. As I always say "who you are leads to what you do." 

Boldness

Conviction is the earmark of great leaders. Leaders like Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King who spoke with passion and created movements. Boldness is the way of true leaders. Boldness in prayer is undermined when we live unconscious of our true worth to God. Without the conviction of righteousness in the human soul we betray what the precious blood of God paid for so beautifully. We cannot undermine ourselves with thoughts of self apart from Christ. Self is not the problem. The problem is self when left to self. Last I checked he lives in you. He's not trying to erase you. He's trying to glorify you in the Spirit of the cross. We have to live with a righteousness consciousness.