What Is “Fervent Prayer” and How Can We Pray Fervently?

One of the most powerful tools a Christian has is prayer. It is the most direct way to speak to God, to thank Him, to ask Him for things, or just to connect with the Creator about what is going on in life and in the world. When studying the Bible, the importance of prayer is clear. Individuals in both the Old and New Testaments - before and after the life, death, and resurrection of Christ - prayed passionately, intensely, and sincerely.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the book of James has a word to describe this kind of prayer: fervent. “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).

Fervent prayer is that model of passionate and sincere calling out to God, whether out of thankfulness, repentance, or need. Understanding the way that word was used, how it is translated in other versions, and seeing examples of that kind of prayer in the Bible can teach a believer today about how to pray fervently.

What Does Fervent Mean?

Fervent is a word that has fallen out of fashion over time, but it is still used in some contexts and can appropriately describe a kind of interaction. Fervent means “having or displaying a passionate intensity; archaic use: hot, burning, or glowing.” Essentially, to do something fervently is to do something with passion, and an older use of the word was to do something like a burning fire.

To pray fervently is to pray with intensity, fueled by the Holy Spirit. It can be any kind of prayer. Someone can be intensely thankful, deeply in need, or embroiled in spiritual warfare. The prayer can be outward, and often fervent prayer does manifest itself physically in movement, words, and sometimes tears. Some people pray inwardly, but with a burning in their spirit that is just as powerful as the prayer of someone saying their words out loud.

Someone can be seen to be praying fervently, but can be insincere, doing it for attention or because they feel peer pressure to pray with passion. Some pastors, healers, and charismatic leaders are caught being insincere in their false prayers. That is not a fervent prayer, just because it looks like one. God knows the intentions of their hearts.

It is also important to look at the idea of fervent prayer in context:

“Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 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. 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. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (James 5:13-18, KJV).

In context, fervent prayer can be for oneself or others. This passage in James is about how Christians should behave and can support one another, particularly during difficult times. They should pray when they are sick, they should rejoice when good things happen, and fervent prayer – sincere prayer fueled by the Holy Spirit – can bend the ear of God. James, the writer of this epistles and historically believed to be the half-brother of Jesus Christ, then gives the example of Elijah - Elias in the King James Version - whose fervent prayer had God hold back rain for 3.5 years. That prayer availed much, because it was sincere and in accordance with God’s will.

Why Does Fervent Prayer "Availeth Much"?

During the early 17th century during which the King James Version was first published, the verb “avail” was used with regularity. It is not an entirely extinct word in the English language, often working its way into academic, scientific, and legal papers. But it is no longer used in the common vernacular, particularly in the United States.

The definition of avail is, “help or benefit, use or take advantage of (an opportunity or available resource), use or benefit.” When the translators of the Bible said that fervent prayer “availeth much,” they meant that it can lead to God intervening in many ways. It could be one big miracle, like when Elijah prayed for the rain to stop, or simply God intervening in a situation in the favor of a Christian, or even God answering a series of prayers. Fervent prayer also helps strengthen the relationship between the individual with the Lord, as it is a long and deep conversation with the Creator.

What fervent prayer does not guarantee is that if a Christian prays really, really hard, that they will get whatever they want. The Psalmist wrote, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Earlier in his letter, James wrote, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3). The Apostle John said, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14). Prayer that is driven by a sinful desire, that leads to worldly gain that does not glorify God, or that is not according to God’s will may not be answered in the affirmative.

What Else Does the Bible Say about the Power of Prayer?

When looking for a model for fervent, powerful prayer, 1 Samuel contains one of the best examples in the Bible.

A man named Elkanah had two wives, one of whom bore him children, while the other, Hannah, could not. Because of her infertility, Hannah felt great sorrow, so when they went to the Temple, she went and prayed. The Bible records, “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.’ As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman” (1 Samuel 1:10-13).

She was paying with such passion, so fervently, that she was visibly distraught – so much so the High Priest thought she had come to the Temple drunk. Her prayer was sincere and came from a place of great sorrow, and God heeded her prayer.

Another person in the Bible who was known for his powerful prayers was the prophet Daniel. He got in trouble with the authorities in Babylon because of his prayer. During the chapters of prophecy, written in the first person by Daniel, he records a prayer asking for forgiveness for the sins of the people.

The Bible records the prayer, given here in part:

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land….O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee” (Daniel 9:3-6, 8, KVJ).

Daniel’s prayers helped protect him in the lion’s den, where God shut the mouth of the large cats to preserve the life of his faithful servant. This prayer reflects the anguish of someone sincerely reflecting on their own wickedness, and of the people they represent, and coming humbly before God for forgiveness, which He granted. Eventually, the exile to Babylon was ended.

How Can We Pray Fervently for Each Other?

Part of the Christian life is praying for brothers and sisters in Christ. The Apostle Paul encouraged believers, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another…Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; ... Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Romans 12:10, 12, 15). Taking this to heart, Christians should be as passionate about the blessings, trials, and temptations of their brothers and sisters as they are for their own.

Fervent prayer is not just praying loudly or with great emotion, though that can be a part of it. It is a prayer that is sincere, striving to be conformed to the will of God, and that glorifies Him. Reaching out to the Lord, fueled by the Spirit of God, is a cornerstone of a strong walk that can help a Christian finish the race well. It can also be a part of God’s plan for action, and lead to an answer to that prayer.

Sources

Johnson, Owen. The Passioante Praying of the Effectual Fervent Prayer. Xulon Press, 2012.

Oxenden, Ashton. Fervent Prayer. London: Hatchard & Co., 1861.

Sayler, Mary Harwell. The Book of Bible Prayers. Amazon Digital Services, 2019.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Luis Alberto Sanchez Terrones

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer who uses her passion for God, reading, and writing to glorify God. She and her husband have lived all over the country serving their Lord and Savior in ministry. She has a blog on graceandgrowing.com.