(Continue To Pray Earnestly)
TO THE BIBLE: James 5:16 AMPC
“…The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].”
LET’S TALK
Elijah was just like any other human being who had feelings and affections. The Bible says he prayed that there would be no rain and the earth went without rain for three and a half years. He prayed again, and the heavens supplied rain. How was he able to do it? The Bible says in James 5:17 that he prayed earnestly.
The earnest prayer of a righteous man produces results. Some good definitions for the word “earnest” are “to be intent and direct in purpose,” “to be zealous or fervent, marked by a deep feeling of conviction.” The Classic Amplified version of the Bible goes further to explain it as, “heartfelt” and “continued.” In other words, an earnest prayer is a sustained kind of prayer that is marked by a deep feeling of conviction. It’s not the kind of prayer you pray at the dining table or in a hurry!
Now, you can begin to understand the kind of prayer Elijah prayed. He didn’t just pray once and give up. He continued seriously in prayer with a deep feeling of conviction. Many people don’t pray this way yet expect to get the kind of results Elijah got.
You need to learn how to pray earnestly in private so that you can have the power of the Holy Ghost work on your behalf publicly. Before Elijah told King Ahab that there would be no rain in the land, he’d already talked to the Lord and “settled” the matter (James 5:17). He prayed earnestly and continued until he got the answer!
Have you prayed earnestly and continued long enough to get answers? Don’t give up now that you’re so close to getting them! Get up and continue in earnest prayer, for the earnest prayer of the righteous man always works!
Go Deeper
Matthew 6:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray
Dear Father, I thank you because I know that I can pray and have results. Therefore, I continue in fervent prayer by the ability of the Spirit and I effect changes in every area of my life that requires a change, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
ONE YEAR
Matthew 24:36-51, Exodus 28
TWO YEAR
Matthew 12:22-30, Genesis 35
Act
Speak in tongues for an hour today, and do so with your whole heart and attention fixed on the Lord.
Share your thoughts on today’s article on the TeeVo Review section, go to www.teevotogo.org
Leave a Reply