Fervent And Prevailing

Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

Acts 12:5, NASB

Fervent is one of those great old-fashioned Bible words that has fallen into disuse. James 5:16 says: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Paul wrote to the Colossians that Epaphras was “always laboring fervently for you in prayers” (4:12). The English word fervent comes from a term meaning “to boil,” and it implies intensity of feeling.

Is that the way we pray?

Another nearly forgotten prayer adjective is prevailing, which was a favorite term of an earlier generation. Charles Finney wrote, “In prevailing prayer, a child of God comes before Him with real faith in His promises and asks for things agreeable to His will, assured of being heard according to the true intent of the promises; and thus coming to God he prevails with Him.”

Matthew Henry, the old Bible commentator, wrote, “It is the prayer of faith that is prevailing prayer. . . . It is the believing prayer that will be the prevailing prayer.”

In order to grow strong, we have to exercise our prayer muscles. Learn to pray fervently. Learn the secrets of prevailing prayer.

Prevailing prayer is the pathway to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

JOHN PIPER