Fervant Prayer

Prayer Meeting Outlines 2. Prayer

“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.”—James 5:16

There are many promises in the Bible. However, for each promise there is a condition which we must meet. For example the promise of 1 John 1:9. God will forgive our sins, but we must confess our sins. Also notice the promise of Jeremiah 29:13. We will find God, if we search Him with all our heart. If we meet the conditions God gives to us, He will keep His promises.

I. THE PURITY OF PRAYER—“Confess your faults one to another.”

A. Confess our shortcomings—Galatians 6:1. A real Christian will be willing to confess his sin and shortcomings, and forgive others, too.

B. Confess our sins—James 4:17. Many sins are committed by doing nothing! There are sins of commission and sins of omission.

C. Confess our slothfulness—Psalm 41:4. David confesses his sin. He sinned because of his slothfulness. Read 2 Samuel 11.

D. Confess our stubbornness—1 Samuel 15:23. A disobedient and a stubborn person loses the touch of God upon his life. Many are stubborn and will not forgive. They hold bitter feelings and grudges. Read very carefully and memorize Ephesians 4:32.

II. THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER—“The effectual fervent prayer.”

A. Daily.

1. David’s prayer—Psalm 55:17—three times daily.

2. Daniel’s prayer—Daniel 6:10—three times daily.

3. Psalmist prayer—Psalm 72:15—notice: prayer continually.

B. Determined.

1. Personal prayer—James 5:17–18—notice: “And he prayed again.”

2. Persistent praying—1 Thessalonians 5:17—attitude in praying.

3. Patience in praying—Luke 18:1—never give up in praying.

III. THE PERSON OF PRAYER—“Of a righteous man.”

A. Sin hinders Prayer—Psalm 66:18. It need not be a “big sin”—anything which opposes God is sin. Anger, gossip, etc., which appear to be “small sins” are big sins to God!

B. Sensuality hinders prayer—James 4:3. Using God’s blessings on our fleshly desires. Those in the flesh cannot please God!

C. Selfishness hinders prayer—1 John 5:14. Always seek God’s will before you pray. Not self-will, but God’s will! BEFORE YOU PRAY BE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT WITH GOD AND RIGHT WITH MAN!

IV. THE POWER OF PRAYER—“Availeth much.”

A. Fire of God—1 Kings 18; James 5:17. Elijah prayed just a simple 63-word prayer and the fire of God fell.

B. Freedom by God—Daniel 6:16–24. Because Daniel was faithful to God in prayer, God remembered him and answered his prayer.

Don’t waste your time in praying! Be sure you are right with God. Be sure you are right with man. Only as you have the fruits of the Spirit in operation in your life (Galatians 5:23) will your prayers be answered. Perhaps your prayers will not be answered immediately, but they will be answered.

“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.”—

There are many promises in the Bible. However, for each promise there is a condition which we must meet. For example the promise of . God will forgive our sins, but we must confess our sins.

Also notice the promise of . We will find God, if we search Him with all our heart.

If we meet the conditions God gives to us, He will keep His promises.

Now “fervent” prayer means to burn or boil, to be eager, and to strive and struggle

Now “fervent” prayer means to burn or boil, to be eager, and to strive and struggle

If we are to have fervant

I. THE PURITY OF PRAYER—“Confess your faults one to another.”

A. Confess our shortcomings—. A real Christian will be willing to confess his sin and shortcomings, and forgive others, too.

B. Confess our sins—. Many sins are committed by doing nothing! There are sins of commission and sins of omission.

C. Confess our slothfulness or lazyness—. David confesses his sin. He sinned because of his slothfulness.

D. Confess our stubbornness- A disobedient and a stubborn person loses the touch of God upon his life. Many are stubborn and will not forgive. They hold bitter feelings and grudges. We are to forgive others as Christ has forgiven us

II. THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER—“The effectual fervent prayer.”

Illustration-

A cartoon pictured a little boy kneeling in prayer. Obviously disgruntled with God, he was saying, “Aunt Harriet hasn’t gotten married, Uncle Hubert hasn’t any work, and Daddy’s hair is still falling out.… I’m getting tired of praying for this family without getting any results.”

Sometimes we can grow tired and weary of praying for the same thing over and over again....

Jones, G. C. (1986). 1000 illustrations for preaching and teaching (p. 293). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

A. Daily.

1. David’s prayer——three times daily.

2. Daniel’s prayer——three times daily.

B. Determined.

1. Personal prayer——notice: “And he prayed again.”

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. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

17 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. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

2. Persistent praying——Pray without ceasing

3. Patience in praying——never give up in praying.

(KJV 1900)

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

III. THE PERSON OF PRAYER—“Of a righteous man.”

Francis Chan, a popular preach says, privately before he anoints anyone with prayer, he will ask them to confess any known sin in their life. I think that would dramatically decrease the amount of requests for anointing. But it makes a lot of biblical sense to do that.

A. Sin hinders Prayer—It doesn’t need to be a “big sin”—anything which opposes God is sin. Anger, gossip, lying, which appear to be “small sins” are big sins to God!

B. Sensuality hinders prayer— says you ask and receive not because you ask amiss.

We ask with a wrong heart or motives. Using God’s blessings on our fleshly desires. Those in the flesh cannot please God!

C. Selfishness hinders prayer—. Always seek God’s will before you pray. Not self-will, but God’s will! BEFORE YOU PRAY BE SURE YOU ARE RIGHT WITH GOD AND RIGHT WITH MAN!

IV. THE POWER OF PRAYER—“Availeth much.”

A. Fire of God—; . Elijah prayed just a simple 63-word prayer and the fire of God fell.

B. Freedom by God—. Because Daniel was faithful to God in prayer, God remembered him and answered his prayer.

If we are going to be people who pray fervently then it must be pure, something we practice, someone we are through the power of the Holy Spirit