Effective, Fervent Prayer

-February 7, 2023-

Good morning, happy Tuesday,

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

(James 5:16).

There is tremendous power in prayer. The prayer that James refers to is awesome. God answers prayers like these. They reach behind our walls and ceilings to the very throne of God. Just imagine that! Does it mean that God always answers exactly what we pray for? No, it must be in His will and timing. The Lord Jesus lives to make intercession for us to Father and the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Does this mean our prayers should lack specificity? Absolutely not! We must pray specifically and expect answers specifically.

Our prayers taken to the throne of grace find grace to help in times of need. We should thank God for every petition we bring, and leave the requests in His hands. We should pray for ourselves but even more for others. We all want our prayers to be both effective and fervent. The last part of our verse in the Amplified Bible says, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”

• Effective Prayer – Do our prayers make a difference? Does God hear them and answer them? Oh, yes He does. James uses Elijah as an example of the power of prayer. James 5:17-18 says, “ Elijah was a man with a nature like our’s, and he prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” Elijah was effective in his prayers and we should be also through continuance and faith. God is looking for prayer warriors. Sometimes we are more worriers than warriors.

• Fervent Prayer – To be effective our prayers must be fervent. The word fervent is defined as, “having or displaying a passionate intensity.” In the days of old it meant hot, burning, or glowing. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:2, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed so fervently that the Father would remove the cup of His suffering on the cross from Him; but that Father’s will be done. Do our prayers have fervency? Or do we just pray because we know we should?

May we pray fervently and effectively today. Let us knock on the door of heaven, waiting for and expecting God’s answer. Stay safe and healthy.

Praying always for all people, especially the saints,

Dean