EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYING
Jam 5:16 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.
“ I need to study my Bible more”. With this simple statement, a person confesses both a “NEED” and a “FAULT”. So, when we are confessing our "faults“, we are also expressing our need to do something to correct those “faults”. We are, in effect, asking for help in correcting or meeting that need.
Its interesting to note that James says that we are to pray for one another
“that YE might be healed”. When one confesses their faults (needs) to us, we are compelled to discover our own faults (needs). And, we pray for one another that BOTH may be healed (recover from) of our faults (needs).
James refers to “prayer” here as EFFECTUAL FERVENT prayer. Notice he did not say “effectual AND fervent”. There have been many fervent prayers that have been less than EFFECTUAL. Maybe that’s because we don’t understand the concept of EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYING. Strongs defines EFFECTUAL FERVENT as
1) to be operative, be at work, put forth power
a) to work for one, aid one
2) to effect
3) to display one's activity, show one's self operative
Fervent praying is the “talk” of prayer. We say a prayer for someone in need. Effectual fervent praying is the “walk” of prayer. Effectual fervent prayer does not relegate that need to the “prayer list”, but rather seeks some way to meet that need. It is fervent prayer in action and at work. In other words, if one confesses their faults (needs) to us, and we are in the position to help in some way, then EFFECTUAL FERVENT prayer compels us to meet that need in some way. “I need to study my Bible more”. If we are concerned about praying effectually and fervently, our response would be, “You know, I do, too. Lets pray about getting together to study the Bible together.” EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYING doesn’t just pray about it…it takes action to alleviate the need. Our prayers are less than effectual, no matter how fervent they are, if we are in position to meet the need and we fail to do so.
Peter and John were praying fervently in the temple in
Acts 3. As they departed, they were met by a man with an obvious need. Their FERVENT praying took action to meet the lame mans need. Theirs was EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYING when they took action to minister to the lame beggar. So, the next time we are asked to pray concerning a need, lets put some “walk” with our “talk”.
Threaded Mode
