The scripture that inspired this study is the second part of James 5:16.
The KJV states: “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
The AMPC translation states: “…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”
The TPT translations the verse to state: “…tremendous power is released through the passionate, heartfelt prayer of a godly believer!”
This verse is teaching us that prayers need to be earnest, sincere, passionate, and heartfelt. Prayers like these that are prayed by a righteous person are effective and powerful. They have the potential to produce powerful results if the prayer is within God’s will. In this study we are going to discuss:
- The Importance of Praying in Faith
- Hindrances From Answered Prayer
- The Importance of Persistent Prayer
- The Power of Praying in the Spirit
The Importance of Praying in Faith
The bible has a lot to say about prayer. Praying in faith is very powerful. Prayer is simply communicating our request to God. All through out the bible people prayed to God. Our prayer time is a very important part of our relationship with God. God wants us to spend time with him in prayer. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7 admonishes us to cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for us. God wants us to make all our requests to him in faith. The Apostle Paul teaches us this in Philippians 4:6-7 NIV:
[6] Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
[7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
In this passage we are instructed not to be anxious about the worries of life but to bring our requests to God with a thankful heart for everything he has already done. When we do that in faith God will give us peace that is beyond understanding. We don’t have to understand how God is going to work things out in order for us to be in peace because our faith is in God and in his sovereignty to work things out according to his will. We know God works everything out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) Our job is to have faith in God not in our requests. I don’t know about you but there are some prayers I prayed that I am glad God did not grant. I want God to work things out according to his will not mine. His will is always best. When we pray we must pray in faith in order for it to be effective. The Apostle James teaches us this in James 1:6-8 NIV. He says:
[6] But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
[7] That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
[8] Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
There is no need to go to God about something if you don’t have faith that he will work it out. God responds to faith. Hebrews 11:6 KJVS says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” This verse teaches us that God rewards those who continually seek him in faith. Let’s take a moment to examine what is faith. Hebrews 11:1 NIV describes faith as the “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The following is the KJV Life Application Study Bible explanation of that verse:
“11:1 Faith starts with believing in God’s goodness and truth—that he is who he says he is. Faith culminates with knowing that God will do what he promises. When we believe that he will fulfill his promises even though we don’t see them materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith (see John 20:24-31).”
So how do we get faith. The Apostle Paul teaches us in Romans 10:17 KJVS, that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This has always been a difficult verse for me to completely understand. But through my experience I have realized that it is not enough to just hear the Word of God, you have to have understanding and the revelation that can only come from the Holy Spirit. During Jesus ministry on Earth people heard but they had absolutely no understanding or revelation of what he was teaching. His disciples often asked Jesus for the meaning behind the parables he used to teach. It is impossible to develop faith without understanding God’s Word. We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand and get the revelation we need as we read and study the bible. The Apostle James admonishes us to ask God for wisdom in James 1:5 NIV. He says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” This verse not only applies to asking for wisdom for situations it also applies to asking God for wisdom to understand and apply the Word of God in our lives. This is how faith is birth in us. This is the faith we need when we come to God in prayer. It’s not enough to have faith we must speak in faith. Hebrews 11:1 KJVS states that “…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Our words give substance to faith. When we speak faith filled words we are planting seeds of faith. Jesus taught his disciples to speak to the mountain in Mark 11:23-24 KJVS. He said:
[23] For 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.
[24] Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
In this passage Jesus uses some form of the word say three times. He really emphasizes how powerful our words are. He is teaching us to speak to our own mountains which is whatever problem or situation that we are dealing with in our lives. I heard a saying, “tell your problem how big your God is instead of telling God how big the problem is.” This is so true. We release our faith when we speak faith. When we pray we must have faith, speak faith, and believe that we received what we prayed for at the time we prayed.
Hindrances From Answered Prayer
There are many hindrances to answered prayer. We already discussed the importance of having faith but the first thing you must do is ask. This is first and foremost because people can’t receive if they don’t ask. The Apostle James tells us this in James 4:2 KJVS, “…ye have not, because ye ask not.” In order to receive from God we first have to ask. How many times have we been working on something or pondering on what to do about a situation and become frustrated then realized we forgot to ask God. It’s easy to forget sometimes because we are relying on our own experiences and expertises. We should involve God in every aspect of our lives. We can’t receive the answers we need without first seeking him. The Apostle James goes on to say in James 4:3 KJVS, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” We have to be careful about our motives when we pray. Yes, God does care about our desires. I believe he not only wants to meet our needs, he also wants to give us the desires of our heart. As stated in Psalm 37:4 KJVS, “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Notice the verse starts with delight thyself in the Lord. As we grow our relationship with God. Our desires change. We start to desire what he wants. We start seeking his will for our lives instead of ours. That’s when our prayers start to line up with God’s will not just our selfish desires. Please don’t get me wrong. God cares about every area of our lives. He wants us to come to him in prayer about everything but sometimes our desires don’t line up with his will. That’s why God doesn’t grant those prayers. The writer of Hebrews warns and encourages us in Hebrews 10:35-36 KJVS. He says:
[35] Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
[36] For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
I love the way the Passion Translation states those verses. It says: Hebrews 10:35-36 TPT
[35] So don’t lose your bold, courageous faith, for you are destined for a great reward!
[36] You need the strength of endurance to reveal the poetry of God’s will and then you receive the promise in full.
The writer of Hebrews teaches us that we will be rewarded after we have done the will of God. We need patience, strength, and endurance. These attributes are developed in us as we go through the situations of life. God never promised us an easy life as a Christian but he promised to never leave or forsake us. That’s why we can’t always pray our problems away. God allows them to develop us so he can work in us. When we give everything to God he will work everything out for our good as he promised through the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28 KJVS, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” In order for us to claim that promise we must love God and seek his will for our lives. Another hindrance of answered pray is non-forgiveness. Jesus warns us in Mark 11:25-26 KJVS to forgive when we pray. The passage says:
[25] And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
[26] But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
In this passage Jesus is teaching us that we must forgive when we come in prayer in order for our prayers to be effective and for our sins to be forgiven. Unforgiveness stiffens faith because it is sin. It breaks the second greatest commandment Jesus gave us in Mark 12:30-31 KJVS. In this passage Jesus gives us the two greatest commandments. He says:
[30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
[31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
We can’t say we love God and hate anyone. The Apostle John teaches us this in 1 John 4:20-21 KJVS.
[20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
[21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
The Apostle John is saying we can’t be right with God if we have hate in our hearts for someone. Hate is sin and sin separates us from God and kills our faith. We can’t expect God to honor our prayers if our hearts are not right with him. We must forgive each other in order for us to be right with God. Then we can come to him in prayer excepting an answer. The Apostle Peter teaches us in 1 Peter 3:12 KJVS, that “…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.” If we expect our prayers to be answered, we must keep God’s commandments. The Apostle John teaches us this in 1 John 3:21-23 KJVS. He says:
[21] Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
[22] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
[23] And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
The bible clearly teaches us that in order to keep our prayers from being hindered we must first ask, pray in faith, delight ourselves in the Lord, seek his will, forgive others, and keep God’s commandments.
The Importance of Persistent Prayer
The Apostle Paul admonishes us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJVS, to “Pray without ceasing.” We are to pray continually and persistently. Jesus taught two parables to illustrate this point. In Luke 11:5-10 KJVS, Jesus said to his disciples.
[5] …Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
[6] For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
[7] And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
[8] 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.
[9] 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.
[10] For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
In Luke 18:1-5 KJVS, Jesus shared another parable about persistent prayer.
[1] And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
[2] Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
[3] And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
[4] And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
[5] Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
Jesus used these two parables to teach us to be persistent in our prayers. An actual example of persistent prayer that happened in Jesus’ earthly ministry is recorded in Matthew 15:21-28 KJVS.
[21] Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
[22] And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
[23] But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
[24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[25] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
[26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
[27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
[28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
This woman was not giving up. Jesus called this lady a dog but she persisted and received her miracle. Another example is recorded in Acts chapter 12. King Herod killed James the brother of John. When Herod saw it pleased the Jews he arrested Peter to be executed as well. He was thrown in prison and heavily guarded. The bible says in Acts 12:5 in the KJVS that “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” The Passion Translation translates that verse by saying, “The church went into a season of intense intercession, asking God to free him.” The church prayed continuely and persistently for Peter to be released. Because of their prayers God sent an angel to free Peter from prison. Jesus himself taught us that we need to be persistent in our prayers. Praying for something is not always a one time event. Sometimes you have to be persistent to press in with faith. A delayed response is not always a no answer. We must use the time between praying and standing in faith to receiving the answer to develop our faith and seek God’s will. Our most important prayer in every situation is God let your will be done.
The Power of Praying in the Spirit
When we pray we must pray according to God’s will. We don’t always know what’s best for us. Our desires may not be what God wants for our lives. We must have confidence in God and pray that his will be done. Because we don’t know what to pray for God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us. The Apostle Paul explains that in Romans 8:26-28 KJVS,
[26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
[27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
[28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This is known as praying in the Spirit or praying in tongues. When we pray in this way the Holy Spirit is interceding for us according to the will of God. We do not understand the language but we are praying the perfect will of God because the prayer comes from the Holy Spirit. He provides the words as described in Acts 2:4 KJVS: “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” That’s how we know that all things will work out for our good because the Holy Spirit is praying the perfect will of God for our lives. What a powerful gift from God. Pentecostal Christians call this gift being baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians 14:2 KJVS that we speak to God mysteries. He says: “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him ; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.” We do not understand the language the Holy Spirit is speaking through us but God does. The Apostle Paul says we are actually talking to God mysteries. The Apostle Paul admonishes us to pray always in the Spirit in Ephesians 6:18 KJVS. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” This gift is available to all Christians but you have to seek God for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist stated in Luke 3:16 KJVS: “…I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” He spoke of Jesus and the baptism of the Holy Spirit that would be given after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts chapter 2. The Apostle Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 KJVS to pray in the Spirit and in you understanding. He says:
[14] For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
[15] What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Praying in the Spirit is a powerful way to pray but it is not necessary. God will hear our prayers whether we pray in our own language in our own understanding or in the Spirit. The important thing is to pray about everything. God loves hearing from his children. He’s never too busy or unconcerned. He loves his children and is concerned about everything we are concerned about in our lives. Just bring everything to him and trust him to work everything out according to his will. Sometimes it won’t work out the way you thought, hoped, or prayed for but God’s will is always best.
Final thoughts, the keys to answered prayers are:
- Seek the kingdom of God over all else
- Pray according to the will of God. Let God’s will be done not ours.
- Let God’s Word live in us.
- Offer thanksgiving to God.
- Ask God. He cares for us.
- Do his commandments. Live a life of love and repentance.
- Forgive others.
- Be persistent and patient. God is working things out for our good. What we want isn’t always God’s will for our lives.
- Stay in faith. Live a life of faith in God.
Deborah K. Givens, Admin
