Fervent Pray
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Midweek 8.14.24
Midweek 8.14.24
Efficient vs. Being Effective
Even in the church we’ve prioritized being efficient
We aim to keep things shorter
Express services
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Prayer is the most powerful tool God has given to us:
The story is told of a man who got a permit to open the first tavern in a small town. The members of a local church were strongly opposed to the bar, so they began to pray that God would intervene. A few days before the tavern was scheduled to open, lightning hit the structure and it burned to the ground. The people of the church were surprised but pleased - until they received notice that the would-be tavern owner was suing them. He contended that their prayers were responsible for the burning of the building. They denied the charge. At the conclusion of the preliminary hearing, the judge wryly remarked, "At this point I don't know what my decision will be, but it seems that the tavern owner believes in the power of prayer and these church people don't."
Effective Prayers are Fervent:
en-erg-eh'-o: to be active, to be operative, be at work, put forth power
It’s engagement
Early and often:
don’t wait for it to be an emergency if you can
Often gives your prayers enough attention to become desires
Praying in the Sanctuary:
Being in agreement with Sarah
Putting our faith into motion
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Delight is the Hebrew word AW-NAG: Be soft and pliable
If you listen to Him
This doesn’t mean that the Lord will give us whatever we want,
but it is saying that when we trust in the Lord, He will put His desires in our hearts.
This is one of the simplest and most prevalent ways of receiving direction from the Lord.
In English Fervent:
Fervent means “having or displaying a passionate intensity; archaic use: hot, burning, or glowing.”
Being uncomfortable is not a burning or glowing
Break my heart for the loss:
uncomfortable is not heartbreak
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Fervent in Spirit:
The New American Standard Bible (“not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”)
New International Version (“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord”) refer to “spirit” as our attitude.
The Greek word that was translated “spirit” is “PNEUMA.”
PNEUMA can mean “mental disposition” (Strong’s Concordance).
In this application, “spirit” is speaking of our attitude. The American Heritage Dictionary defines “spirit” as “a predominant mood or attitude.”
We should keep an attitude of burning desire for God
Continuing steadfastly in prayer:
Continuing instant in prayer
to be earnest towards, i.e. (to a thing) to persevere, be constantly diligent, or (in a place) to attend assiduously all the exercises, or (to a person) to adhere closely to (as a servitor):—attend (give self) continually (upon), continue (in, instant in, with), wait on (continually).
It should be automatic for us as Christians
It should be our response, our rebuttal, our refusal, or preparation, our standard operation
Prayer should be our default setting
Answered Prayers bring glory to the Father:
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
You don’t need to tell God about your problems, you need to tell your problems about your God
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.