Effectual Fervent Prayer that Avails Much

BIBLE TRUTH

The power of prayer is often misunderstood among those that are lost and without Christ.  Quite often, prayer is neglected by many Christians, as well, because they don’t fully understand the significance of what their prayers can accomplish through faith.  From a human’s point of view, it seems that because God is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, and all-wise, prayer is futile.  After all, what difference could our prayers ever make in swaying the God of all creation’s decision on how to govern our everyday lives? 

While this is a valid question that everyone has held in their heart at some point, God’s word assures us that we are very important participants in how His Kingdom operates on earth.  The power of prayer, as it is mixed with faith, can completely change the course of history in an individual, a family, an organization or a nation.     

Are you in the habit of praying to God on a daily basis?   

     

1 Kings 8

 ⁴⁵Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
   ⁴⁶If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
   ⁴⁷Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
   ⁴⁸And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
   ⁴⁹Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
   ⁵⁰And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

A DEEPER LOOK

Easton’s Bible dictionary describes prayer as intercourse of the soul with God.  Effective prayer that touches the heart of God should be intimate, sincere and humble.  Furthermore, in order for our prayers to move the hand of God, we must believe that He is a God who wants to answer our petitions with favor (Hebrews 11:6). 

The word supplication means to humbly plead our case before a holy God.  Additionally, prayer and supplication (as described in the Bible) should always include repentance of known sins.  When our repentance is combined with a deep crying-out to the Lord for His mercy and grace upon our situation, His loving-kindness reaches into the human atmosphere of time to bring about miracles of change in our lives.  God promises to be near to, and to save those, with a broken and contrite spirit (Psalm 34:18).

Verses 45 and 49 (1 Kings 8) uses two words to describe how we get God to hear us.  What are these two words?   ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you think Solomon meant when He asked God to “maintain their cause” as stated in verses 45 and 49 of 1 Kings 8?

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List the stipulations for attaining God’s favor through prayer that Solomon describes in 1 Kings 8:47-48?

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James 5:16

16 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.

WORKING IN YOUR LIFE

According to the dictionary, the word effectual means that something is capable of - or successful in - producing an intended result.  The meaning of the word effectual also encompasses the enforcing of a legal or binding document.

With this being said, James (the half brother of Jesus) is telling us that as we confess our faults one to another and pray for one another, we position ourselves to be healed by God.  James goes on to teach us the importance of approaching God’s throne with a clean heart when asking something of Him.  He tells us to be passionate and enthusiastic in our belief system knowing that our Heavenly Father will act according to His word for bringing about blessings in our lives.  In other words, according to James 5:16, there are conditions to getting our prayers answered favorably.

What are the five conditions that James 5:16 describes for praying prayers that availeth (profit) much?

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REAL LIFE EXAMPLES

In Matthew 6:5-13 and again in Luke 11:1-13, Jesus gives us an example of how we should pray.  He begins by warning us against impure motives and thoughts of wishing to be seen and heard by others who will then think we are super spiritual.  Jesus tells us that the only reward that can be expected by someone who prays a pious, religious prayer is that of earthly recognition.  God will in no way act upon a hypocritical concern or insincere petition uttered from the lips of any well meaning human being who has impure motives.

The prayer that Jesus models for us is not meant to be recited with a cold heart of memorization.  Instead, the Lord’s model prayer should be viewed through the eyes of the Holy Spirit for understanding the pattern for which Jesus explains how we should arrange our thoughts when talking with Adoni (The Lord Who is God / Master / Ruler). 

1)      First, Jesus tells us to address God by His Holy Names (Hallowed be Thy Name) which define His character. (Matthew 6:9)

2)      Then, Jesus goes on to tell us to pray for heaven to manifest on earth because that is God’s will.  (Matthew 6:10)

3)      Next, we should ask our petition of God.  (Matthew 6:11)

4)      As we petition God for our needs, we should confess our sins to Him.  We must also be willing to forgive everyone that we have held a grudge against – no matter how just our bitterness may seem to be in our own eyes.  (Matthew 6:12)

5)      We should pray that God will always make a way of escape for us so that we will not fall into the devils traps of temptation.  Pray that God will remind us to repent daily from all wrong doing and pray that we will be empowered to avoid doing wrong in the first place.  (Matthew 6:13)

6)      Lastly, acknowledge that God is able and willing to answer our prayer and totally change the natural laws of our bodies, our land or our circumstances in order to bring about a miracle on our behalf and for His glory.  This is according to the many promises found in God’s word that should be hidden in the heart of every child of the King.  (Matthew 6:13)   

Why do you think it is important for us to call out the names of God at the beginning of our prayer time?

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In light of the Lord’s Model Prayer, how do you view God’s will for us on earth?

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MAKING IT HAPPEN!

According to 2 Chronicles 16:9, the Lord is seeking someone to bless!  Our part in the matter is to remain humble, righteous and holy in all of our ways.  There are no specific rules to follow for accomplishing a favored stance before the Lord during prayer.  His only requirements are that of sincerity, repentance, faith, and humility.  The Lord desperately wants to commune with us in prayer.  He wants us to worship Him with childlike faith that is not ashamed of outward praise and adoration.  Whether kneeling, standing, laying prostrate, hands lifted high, head bowed low, crying, singing or shouting, God wants us to be real with Him in all of our ways.  In return, He promises to show Himself strong on our behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9).     

 

Memorizing God’s word, learning about His character, and renewing our minds will boost our confidence in our prayer time.  As we acknowledge  and agree with His thoughts toward us – instead of our own evil thoughts about ourselves -  we position ourselves for faith to believe that He truly loves us and wants to do us good and not harm (Jeremiah 29:11).

Can you recall a time of which you cried out to the Lord with a broken and contrite spirit and asked Him for something specific of which He answered your prayer with great favor?

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According to today’s lesson, what can you do to practice having an effectual, fervent prayer life that has the power to touch God’s heart and move His hand?

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2 Chronicles 7:14

14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 16:9

9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…

Mark 11:22-26:

   ²²And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

   ²³For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

   ²⁴Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

   ²⁵And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

   ²⁶But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

HOMEWORK

Study Matthew 17:14-21 and Mark 9:14-29.  Ask God to teach you about the importance of believing His word.  Ask Him to teach you the principles of fasting for certain issues that cause you great concern.

ORDER THIS ENTIRE STUDY NOW!

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This Bible Study is one of many lessons created by Deborah Ross and Contributing Writers of the Woman2Woman: The Naomi & Ruth Bible Study.

By: Deborah Ross

Copyright@ Deborah Ross Ministries & Safer Communities Ministries

www.DeborahRossMinistries.org / www.mysafercommunities.org

Religion - A Deadly Substitute

James 1:27
     Pure RELIGION and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.   
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Colossians 2:8
     Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the TRADITION of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.   

Religion and the traditions of men are spiritual killers!  In fact, Colossians says we should BEWARE so that philosophy, tradition and vain deceit don't keep the pure knowledge of God's Word from taking root in our hearts and lives.   

Have you ever wondered how the Pharisee's and Sadducee's could know so much about the Old Testament scriptures (the Torah), and yet, they couldn't even understand Jesus - who was The Word made flesh in front of their very eyes?

That is exactly what religion does in today's world, as well.  It blinds humanity to the beauty of God's love, the power of God's anointing and the goodness of God's provision.  Religion always holds a raised eyebrow of doubt while showing pious concern for the - so called - faulty belief system of others.  You can count on a religious voice to offer a cynical remark of unscriptual jargon that may sound like God's Word initially, but in the end it seems to strip your childlike faith away from you right at your point of need.  Religious experts always have a bland explanation of why that aspect of God's Word is not for today, oftentimes using personal rank, credentials or biased research to prove their misleading point.  The voice of religion interprets and teaches God's Word so that it loses some (perhaps most) of its power in the hearts and minds of the the common believer.

But, PURE FAITH is childlike and free!  God's pure Word of truth brings healing and wholeness to wounded, broken souls.  When God's Word is received with gladness it brings joy and peace.  The pure Word of God can cause even the most skeptical convert to believe in the supernatural power of God - like never before.  Those who are transformed by the pure water of God's Word yearn to participate in His supernatural Kingdom of miracles, as the Holy Spirit leads.  The undiluted message of God's Word will take a common soul and turn them into a radical believer of the goodness of God.  Suddenly, they are different.  The Bible says they become peculiar.    

Religion, however, usually seems to fit in.  It doesn't rock the boat.  Religious teachings and ideas (for the most part) fit into mainstream society and the basic ideals of the world's standards. 

Sadly, many of those who claim to be scholar's (because of their education and not because of their supernatural transformation) are quick to claim heresy among what should be their brother or sister in Christ.  They insist on pulling that believer into the same pool of doubt and unbelief that they themselves live in.  Although the Word of God clearly teaches us to not have schisms between us (as Christians), those bound by religion insist on creating division between blood bought children of the King by teaching against other ministers of the gospel whom they don't understand or perhaps don't agree with. 

   Mark 9:38-40  
And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.

Radical faith in God's Word, on the other hand, does not fit in - at all.  Oftentimes, it agitates the nerves of those who claim to be "experts" in their field of religion.  Sadly, radical faith can even rub those who claim to be "experts" of the Bible the wrong way.  Radical faith, unlike religion, will cause the world to watch in awe to see if this God you speak of is real or fake.

At the core of much religious doctrine is the motive of covering oneself (a form of pride).  Impeding religion refuses to get out of the way so that God - can be God.  A religious person usually feels the need to have an educated explanation for certain verses of scripture that seem too radical for today's society.  The religious prayer - too often - says, "if it by Thine will," because they, either, don't understand, or simply have little faith in God's Word of promise.  Careful religion likes to offer a back-up plan that will explain away God's judgements.  Perhaps, those steeped in religion feel an obligation to smooth things over for God when things don't go as hoped in the eyes of their followers.  Whatever the underlying justification, a religious spirit will subtly kill all hope in the person who desperately needs a miracle from God.

Luke 12:1

"In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."   

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Galatians 5:9

"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

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Mark 7:13

"Making the word of God of none effect through your TRADITION, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye."

With all of this being said, we are strongly urged by Jesus, Himself, to stay clear of deadly religion and any tradition of man that seeks to water down the power of the gospel.  We serve a supernatural God, who makes phenomenal promises and delivers unfathomable miracles.  The sweet revelation of His character:  His righteousness; His judgements; His faithfulness; His love; His provision; and the reality of His presence can only be found by the individual who STUDIES GOD'S WORD and then believes what's been revealed with childlike faith.  Undefiled religion (born out of a relationship with Jesus Christ) will drink from the pure waters of FAITH that only He can give!

 

Mark 9:24

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."


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WANT TO READ AND UNDERSTAND SCRIPTURE BETTER? 

HERE IS MY SUGGESTION.

FIRST...

READ... straight through THE ENTIRE NEW TESTAMENT from Matthew to Revelation so that you can understand the Character of God.  If you've never done this before, I suggest reading an easy to understand version the first time through. 

THEN... study Psalms and Proverbs really good so that you will understand prayer and wisdom.

Follow with Genesis.
Then, Exodus.
Read Deuteronomy.
Read Joshua.
Then, 1 & 2 Samuel.
Then, 1 & 2 Kings.


*You may want to start your journey with an easy to read version, BUT... go back to the KJV after your initial read through.
*Use a Concordance to look up words in the KJV.
*Read slowly and mark your Bible as the Holy Spirit teaches you.
*Read the material straight through even if you don't understand it.
*ALWAYS pray before you read!  The Holy Spirit is your teacher.  Ask Him to reveal God's Word (mysteries) to you in a powerful way.
*Ask God to transform your thinking.
*Expect to spend a year or longer just meditating on the suggested books above.  Don't get in a hurry, but be faithful.
*Don't let the "begot's" trip you upon your first read through!



Finally, read all other books of the Bible as the Lord leads.

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Last Notes from My Thoughts Today:

*Pure religion is not ashamed to be vulnerable before a Holy God. 
*Pure religion is willing to admit that they don't know everything about God (and never will). 
*Pure religion is humble. 
*Pure religion expects the supernatural. 
*Pure religion is not lazy. 
*Pure religion is not selfish. 
*Pure religion encourages. 
*Pure religion is compassionate. 
*Pure religion doesn't stand on what they have "heard" about God, but rather, what has been revealed to them through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
*Pure religion seeks to avoid saying things like, "I believe," while earnestly seeking to only speak out of what "God's Word actually says." 
*Pure religion is more interested in PEOPLE than in ceremony, buildings, services, protocol or reputation.
*Pure religion reserves the right to change its opinion(s) about certain doctrines as the Holy Spirit gives greater revelation throughout the years of growing closer to Christ.  
*Pure religion lends comfort and help to the orphans and to those who are raised by single moms. 
*Pure religion offers comfort, support and a helping hand to widows.
*Pure religion keeps itself unspotted from the world.    

James 1:26
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

 - Deborah Ross www.deborahrossministries.org