FERVENT PRAYER
Fervent Prayer
Author: Cynthia Greene
Examples of Fervent Prayer
• Joshua prayed for deliverance from the Amorites (Joshua 10)
• Hannah was unable to have children and she prayed fervently at the temple (1 Samuel)
• Elijah prayed for rain (1 Kings 18)
• Hezekiah was told he was going to die and turned to God in prayer. (2 Kings 20)
• Jesus Christ prayed in Garden of Gethsemane–“And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will”.- Mat 26:39
• The Church prayed when Peter was imprisoned. (Acts 12)
Why Is Fervent Prayer Important?
Fervent prayers draw us closer to God and shows Him that we are putting our trust and reliance on Him. We recognize that He alone has all power and might. These prayers show our dedication and persistence in our request.
Many of our battles are in the Spiritual realm and the only way to fight them is by putting on the Armor of Prayer — getting on our knees in prayer to God.
“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” -Ephesians 6:12
What is Fervent Prayer?
- The Greek word for fervent is “agonizoma ” which means “to strive or struggle”. (Col 4:12)
- Pouring out your soul in prayer to God in a heart-felt manner. (Psalm 62:8)
- Showing intense feeling and emotion.
- Staying focused and intense.
- Praying in sorrow or agony.
- Showing strong emotion, passion and sincerity about the matter.
- Bringing your fears to God. (1 Pet 5:7)
- Fervent prayer does not need to be said in a loud voice or be long and drawn out.
- Sometimes it can be a thought in our mind and short such as “God help me”.
- It can be prayed on behalf of ourselves or others.
How Do We Pray Fervently?
- Pray Continually
We pray without ceasing to show our reliance on God to answer and resolve our problem. We don’t pray once and then go about attempting to fix the problem ourselves, spend time worrying about it, or calling others to talk about it. Instead we should be talking to God about the situation or request. The Greek word translated to “without ceasing” is αδιαλειπτως (adialeíptōs), which means constantly or without intermission
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – I Thes. 5:16-17
- Come to God in Righteousness and Truth
Scripture says our own righteousness is as a filthy rag (Is 64:6). God establishes His Righteousness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Obeying, repenting, reconciliation, growing in agape love and continuing in His Word will keep us in a humble and right attitude when we come to Him in prayer. - Pray With Confidence
Praying confidently and with certainty shows we are trusting in Him to meet all our needs and He will answer our prayers as He sees best.
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, He hears us – 1 John 5:14
- Trusting God and Praying “His Will Be Done”
God knows what is best for us. He has the bigger picture and sees all things for what they really are. We can ask and beseech God for what we need but should ask that it be done accordingly to God’s will. Jesus Christ gave the ultimate example when He prayed to God “thy will be done”. (Luke 22:14)
- Pray With Courage & Passion
He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; – Luke 18:1
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. – Jer. 29:13
Be of good courage – 2 Sam. 10:12
- Rejoice, Give Thanks and Praise God Always
Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. – Phil. 4:4
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever. – Ps 106:1
When God’s Answer is “Not Yet” or “No”
Sometimes our prayers seem to go unanswered, or we have to wait, or God makes it clear that He is not going to answer our prayer the way we expected.
There are examples in the Bible where God said “no” to the prayers of his saints:
• God said NO to David’s request for his child to survive, and the child only lived seven days. (2 Samuel 12:1-23)
• God said NO to Elijah when he prayed that he might die, and God preserved his life for a purpose. (1 Kings 19:1-4)
• God said NO to His Son, Jesus Christ, even though “being in agony he prayed more earnestly,” and the Atonement and Crucifixion went on as foretold. (Luke 22:41-47)
• Jesus said NO to Paul with regard to “the thorn in his flesh,” and though we don’t know what it was specifically, we know it was not removed as requested. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
• Jesus said NO to the Greek woman, and tested her before performing the miracle. (Mark 7:24-30)
When we put our faith and trust in God we must believe that no matter what the answer, God has our best interest at heart. Sometimes God does not answer our prayers the way we think they should be answered or in our time frame. We need to remember that God is ultimately concerned about the development of our Righteous Character and that through trials and sufferings we grow and our spiritual life is strengthened.
I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Rom 8:18
Results of Fervent Prayer
- Answered Prayer–Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give you the desires of thine heart.” -Psalm 37:4
- Joy–…for the joy of the Lord is your strength. -Neh. 8:10
- Peace–And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. –Phil 4:7
- Grow in Patience & Longsuffering–But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently –Rom 8:25