Could it be that sometimes we don`t see God`s promises fulfilled in our lives because we haven`t prayed effectively and fervently? I think the answer is yes. In James 5:16 we read, “The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man is of great use.” What does it mean to be fervent in prayer? Praise the Lord!!! I love when God gives you exactly what you need when you need it!! Thank you for this article on prayer! Exactly what I needed today! Written prayers – I like to write verses in my house on cards, in pretty frames, and on boards. Writing God`s Word does something for your heart. Write down your prayers in the morning or evening before bedtime. Keep a gratitude journal where you list the things for which you thank God. Write verses and take them with you to pray during the day. {Read here how I write my prayers.} “Pray in the Spirit at all times, with all prayers and supplications. To this end, remain vigilant in all perseverance and plead for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:18) Therefore, Elia Ahab warned that a severe drought was imminent and would last for a long time.
James said, “Elijah. prayed sincerely that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months” (James 5:17). God heard and honored this solemn prayer. Here is fervent of the Greek Zeo. Frederick Danker, in his A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, defines it as “emotionally restless, enthusiastic/excited/burning.” A quick glance at the result of some of the serious prayers recorded in the Bible shows that personal requests have been met (1. Samuel 1:27-28), the Holy Spirit was given (Acts 8:14-17), the dead were brought back to life (Acts 9:39-41), people were healed (Genesis 20:17-21:1; Acts 28:8) and personal losses have been restored (Job 42:10). « Through prayer, we do more things than this world dreams. » An effective and fervent prayer is one that gives strength and has an effect.
Of course, we can conclude that there are ineffective and passive prayers that have no effect or power. Problems are like nails. There are many types of nails in the world of carpentry. Many are small and require little effort to drive a hammer. Other nails are larger. Some are quite large. They require bigger hammers and more effort. Some of life`s problems can be solved with an explanation of God`s Word and a proactive attitude against the work of the enemy. Other problems, however, seem to have deeper roots. When God speaks to our hearts, this word alone will not always bring a manifestation of an answer.
It may take our faith-filled cooperation (prayer) to turn this promise into reality. But first, what is FERVENT? Another word for passionate is passionate. The dictionary fervently defines as a great intensity of the mind or hot, burning and shining. How can our prayers be PASSIONATE? Glowing? How do we pray more intensely? “the effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man is of great use” means that the sincere prayer of a righteous man has great power and produces wonderful results (NLT). Or the serious prayer of a righteous person has great power and it works, that is, it leads to results. Fervent is a word that is not normally used in our conversations today. In fact, the term is barely used in the Bible. In the Acts of the Apostles, we meet a man named Apollos who traveled the country to teach and explain the Scriptures. Among his characteristics was the fact that he was “fervent in spirit” (Acts 18:24-25).
Fervent prayer is a deep, focused and passionate call to God. Prayer itself is alignment and communication with God the Creator, but immersion in a prayer of deep fervor remarkably changes not only the circumstances, but also the person who prays. This is the kind of prayer Jesus meant when he talked about faith that can move mountains (Matthew 21:21). There are recorded prayers of prophets and judges, men and women, young and old. Circumstances varied and there were prayers of joy and sorrow. The themes differ, but most of these prayers were spoken fervently – with some degree of conviction, concentration and zeal. It is important to note that fervent prayer does not mean that your words should be richly decorated or imaginative. Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Ghost can translate lamentations, groans, and tears into prayer. Do not be afraid to pour your heart out to the one who did it, for He already knows it. The community of deep prayer allows us to pass through the surface and dive into the depths of the Spirit to meet Him on the throne. If you want more encouragement and help in developing strategies for fervent prayer, I highly recommend the book Fervent: A Woman`s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer. This book contains so many underscores and highlights.
In fact, I`m ironing it again to personalize it and apply it to some of the things I`m facing right now. I know this will bless you and encourage you to pray fervently! One of the first things that fervent prayer requires is humility and the realization of our NEED for Christ. When we go to Him from this place of despair, our prayers become more fervent. In the book of 1 Samuel, Hannah`s story is conveyed. Anne was Samuel`s mother, but the way to become a mother required great faith and fervent prayer: the phrase “effective, fervent” in verse 16 is translated from a Greek word that indicates that there is work, an effort involved in this endeavor. The Greek word is energeo, and the English word energy is derived from it. Therefore, passion is not something that usually comes easily. There must be an active component of genuine zeal or commitment – mental focus. Now there was a student in Joppa named Tabitha. She always did good works and did charity. She got sick and died, and when they washed her, they put her in an upper room.
As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples who heard that Peter was there sent two men to call him. And he came to Joppa with them without delay. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. There, all the widows came to him crying and showed him the coats and other clothes that Dorcas made during his lifetime. Then Peter put them all outside, knelt down, and prayed fervently; And when he turned to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat down. And he gave her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the believers and widows and presented them alive. Reference Apostle History 9:36-43 Indeed, the fervent and effective prayer of a righteous man is of great use. The word zeal often comes to mind when we think of being fervent.
Some of the new versions of the New Testament describe Apollos as very enthusiastic when he spoke. In other words, he was excited. The truth he said moved him. The fervent prayer of the righteous is not in vain. The righteous man has nothing to do with the prophets of Baal, who called Baal and prayed to him in vain, for Baal never heard them and did not answer them. The God of the righteous is the only true God, he lives and hears the prayer of the righteous when they invoke him. Therefore, our trust is that whatever we sincerely ask for in prayer, He hears us and would do. We can find a number of examples in the Bible that affirm that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and produces results….