Fervent Prayer

Fervent Prayer 

by David Brenneman 

‭"Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. A prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much." James 5:16.

Half-hearted prayers aren't really going to accomplish much. It's a wholehearted prayer that accomplishes much.  

In another passage it's mentioned bringing in the whole tithe. "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows." Malachi 3:10.

Jesus isn't wanting visits with us. 

Jesus wants a cultivated relationship with us. Prayer isn't just words we say to make us, or interestingly enough some think makes God, feel better about a situation or person. 

We enter the very Throne Room of Jesus when we are praying. It's a huge concept to wrap our minds around. 

Half-hearted, weak, prayers that we're mostly just "putting it out there"...we can expect those kinds of responses in return. Vague, non-specific responses. 

Jesus was very specific in praying for Lazarus to come out of the grave. Some joke that if He hadn't been, everyone would have come out.  

Prayer is supposed to be our heart speaking to His heart. Those things that weigh upon us that are hard to bear alone.  

Those in this world without Jesus bear them alone. The pressures and weight are unnecessarily upon a person because of not having Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

We have the privilege of coming at anytime to Jesus. There's no powers anywhere that can stop us.

Regardless of what some songwriters say or even some preacher's say...there are no powers of Hell that are fighting against those who are in Christ. Satan's never been to Hell. Hell WAS a place intended for Satan and his minions. It now is for all who have died without salvation in Christ Jesus. Hell was to be eternal separation from God. At the Final Judgment, Hell will be cast into the Lake of Fire. The Bible spells it out clearly that outside of his daily, likely mandated, visits to Heaven to appear before Jesus, Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour...on the Earth, not in it.

We, at all times, should be serious in our prayers as much as and maybe moreso than we are in living out our faith before men and women.

We cannot be so-so in our prayers.  

"But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8.

Fervent means to be serious about. To be passionate about. To do more than drop a note about and walk off.

Take your views on prayer and compare them to how Jesus taught the Disciples on how to pray. Look at the times and to the depths that Jesus prayed to His Father.  

People wonder why the world is in the shape that it's in...it's changed through fervent prayer. If it's not...then there's not enough fervent prayer happening. 

Pray for those who persecute you. 

Pray for your enemies.

Pray for those in authority over you. 

Pray for family and friends. 

Pray without ceasing. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.