OceanSide church of Christ
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EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
At any moment, at any
location, the Christian has the privilege of approaching God in
prayer.
B.
Prayer is the means whereby
each child of God can directly communicate with his Father in
heaven.
C.
We go to God with our
requests. We go to Him with our
needs. We go to Him with our
troubles. When we do, we hope that
He hears and that He responds favorably to our petitions.
D.
Question: Do you ever feel that prayer does not
accomplish much? Do you ever pray
and see little, if any, results?
Have you ever grown discouraged in your prayer life? Have you ever felt like David (Ps.
22:1-2a).
My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Why art
thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou
hearest not…
E.
James 5:16 gives us some
insight into why our prayers may not be accomplishing
much.
Confess your
faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much.
1.
Could it be that our prayers
lack energy? The Greek word
translated “effectual fervent” is “energo”(1754).
2.
Could it be that our prayers
do not produce much because we are to blame instead of
God?
F.
In this lesson we are
exhorting our listeners to practice “Effectual Fervent
Prayer.”
I. BIBLE
EXAMPLES
A.
In the context of James
5:16, we are given an example of an effectual fervent prayer. The prayer was prayed by the powerful
prophet Elijah (James 5:17-18).
Elias was a man
subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not
rain: and it rained not on the
earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave
rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.
1.
Note the words, “He prayed
earnestly.”
2.
This was not a flippant,
light-hearted, faintly uttered prayer.
3.
This prayer poured forth
from Elijah’s heart in earnestness to God.
4.
Note the result: “And it rained
not.”
B.
A
second example of an effectual fervent prayer is found in I Samuel 1. This time a woman was praying (I Sam.
1:10).
And she was in
bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept
sore.
1.
The woman’s name was
Hannah.
2.
Her dilemma? She was childless and was mocked by
Peninnah who had children.
3.
Note the words: “Bitterness of soul…prayed…wept
sore.”
4.
This was not a shallow wish
that came forth from her lips. It
was a deep longing that sprang from the anguish of her
soul.
5.
This prayer also availed
much (I Sam. 1:20).
Wherefore it
came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she
bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the
Lord.
C.
A
third example is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1.
Jesus was a man of
prayer. He prayed often. At times, He prayed long. His prayers were always fervent prayers
to His Father.
2.
In the
a.
We are familiar with His prayer (Matt. 26:39).
O my Father, if
it be possible, let his cup pass from me:
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
b.
Some might ask: “How do we know this was a fervent
prayer?” The Hebrews writer gives
insight into the agony of our Lord (Heb. 5:7).
Who in the days
of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in
that he feared.
II. THE ELEMENTS OF
FERVENT PRAYER
A. Very
specific requests.
1.
Each prayer that we have studied had a singular
request.
a.
Elijah – rain.
b.
Hannah – a man child.
c.
Jesus – Let this cup pass from me.
2.
A brother in Pocahontas, TN used to say we do not have to be specific
because the Lord already knows what we have need of .
3.
However, specific prayers are focused and usually much more intense.
B.
Emotions.
1.
In every prayer that we
discussed, we find the prayers involving much emotion.
a.
Elijah – prayed earnestly.
b.
Hannah – bitterness of soul and crying.
c.
Jesus – agony along with strong crying and tears.
2.
Hearts do not have to be hurting to pray, but they should have an
emotional springboard.
a.
Emotions involve the sincerity with which our prayers are
prayed.
b.
Thanksgiving, praise, rejoicing, supplications, requests, all involve the
emotions of man.
C.
Faith.
1.
Who would say that any one
of these three prayers was faithless?
2.
Hannah’s
prayer.
a.
Prior to her prayer, Hannah would not eat. She was also of a very sad
countenance.
b.
In faith, she left her prayer with God. I Samuel 1:18 states: “So the woman went her way, and did eat,
and her countenance was no more sad.”
3.
Our prayers must be offered with deep faith.
a.
Matthew 21:22.
And all things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive.
b.
James
1:5-8.
If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of
the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the
Lord. A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways.
D.
Righteousness.
1.
Each one of the individuals
who prayed was righteous in the sight of God. Each one was walking in the commandments
of God blameless. They were not
overtly practicing sin.
2.
One of the great hindrances
to prayer is sin.
a.
Proverbs 28:9.
He that turneth
away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be
abomination.
b.
Psalm
66:18.
If I regard
iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
c.
I
Peter 3:12.
For the eyes of
the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them
that do evil.
3.
We must examine our
lives. Continual, habitual sins can
close God’s ears to our prayers.
Our secret sins can close the doors of heaven to
us.
E.
Persistence.
1.
Hannah and Elijah may have
only prayed once, but Jesus offered His prayer three times (Matt.
26:44).
And he left
them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same
words.
2.
A
one time request may not indicate enough earnestness to the Father. We may have to pray over and over again,
like a child asking for candy in a store (Ex., Luke 11:5-13, esp. vs.
8-10).
I say unto you,
Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of
his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be
given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened.
CONCLUSION
A.
How many parents would
refuse to aid and assist their children if they came to them blameless, with
sincerity of heart, and with great earnestness?
B.
In like manner, and more so,
the Father in heaven yearns to give aid to His children who seek him in
effectual prayer (Matt. 7:9-11).
Or, what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?