rjones
Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2007
- Messages
- 314
" . . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16).
What is fervent prayer?
Fervent prayer is praying with THE WHOLE HEART - prayer that will not give up until the answer comes. This does not mean an incessant crying out to God because you are not sure if God has heard, or if He will answer. That is unbelief and grieves the heart of God. Fervent prayer is just the opposite. It is the prayer of FAITH. It is only possible because we have learnt the first principle, which is effective prayer - we now know God's character and what He has promised, and we will not give up until we see it come to pass.
Persistence brings results.
In (Mt.15:22-28), the Canaanite woman would not take no for an answer. She asked for her daughter's healing, and three times she was rejected. But she wouldn't give up. She understood the heart and character of the Lord Jesus. She not only received the healing of her daughter, but was commended by Jesus: "Woman, you have great FAITH!"
Fervent prayer is true faith in operation. As we examine the experiences of the heroes of faith in the Bible (He. 11), we see that God not always answered immediately. Some had to wait years, but their faith never wavered, and they knew that God would answer (Ro.4:18-21; He.11:11). Peter calls it a ''trial of faith" and declares it to be "of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire" (1 Pe.1:7). Fervent prayer does not give up even when everything seems to be against an answer coming. Many times God does answer immediately (see Isaiah 65:24), but fervent prayer has a two-fold purpose: Not only does it bring us the answer to our prayer, it also produces spiritual ''gold'' within us - character that will last us throughout eternity. Peter says that it will result in "praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed''.
James 5:17 says Elijah ''prayed EARNESTLY that it would not rain, and it did not rain . . . "
What is fervent prayer?
Fervent prayer is praying with THE WHOLE HEART - prayer that will not give up until the answer comes. This does not mean an incessant crying out to God because you are not sure if God has heard, or if He will answer. That is unbelief and grieves the heart of God. Fervent prayer is just the opposite. It is the prayer of FAITH. It is only possible because we have learnt the first principle, which is effective prayer - we now know God's character and what He has promised, and we will not give up until we see it come to pass.
Persistence brings results.
In (Mt.15:22-28), the Canaanite woman would not take no for an answer. She asked for her daughter's healing, and three times she was rejected. But she wouldn't give up. She understood the heart and character of the Lord Jesus. She not only received the healing of her daughter, but was commended by Jesus: "Woman, you have great FAITH!"
Fervent prayer is true faith in operation. As we examine the experiences of the heroes of faith in the Bible (He. 11), we see that God not always answered immediately. Some had to wait years, but their faith never wavered, and they knew that God would answer (Ro.4:18-21; He.11:11). Peter calls it a ''trial of faith" and declares it to be "of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire" (1 Pe.1:7). Fervent prayer does not give up even when everything seems to be against an answer coming. Many times God does answer immediately (see Isaiah 65:24), but fervent prayer has a two-fold purpose: Not only does it bring us the answer to our prayer, it also produces spiritual ''gold'' within us - character that will last us throughout eternity. Peter says that it will result in "praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed''.
James 5:17 says Elijah ''prayed EARNESTLY that it would not rain, and it did not rain . . . "
