Lord, Teach Us To Pray! Part 93

Fervent Prayer Continued...

Whenever we encounter fervent or persistent prayer within the pages of scripture, we see that it was always for a specific purpose, and a well-defined goal. Whether discussing the woman pleading her cause with the unjust judge, or the persistent friend who needed three loaves of bread for another friend of his, the object of their requests was clear, distinct, and well defined.

A fervent prayer has to do with immediacy, it has to do with the cry of the heart that is birthed of passion, and longing, and zeal for the things of God.

One will never pray a fervent prayer in a monotone voice, no matter how reserved or even tempered they happen to be. When fervency is activated in the heart of an individual, and a fervent prayer is brought before God, the heart is poured out before Him, and as such one cannot remain indifferent or unaffected.

Fervent prayers also tend to be short. No, this is not doctrine, or a general rule, but something I’ve noticed over the years, as well as in studying the word of God. ‘Friend, lend me three loaves’ ‘Avenge me of my adversary’ short, concise, and passionate requests and petitions.

When we come before God with a fervent prayer, we already know what we need, we know why we need it, and we are direct in our petition.

You know it’s a real need, you know it is something vital in your life, when you come before God with directness and forthrightness and don’t act like a little child that wants some candy he already knows you will likely say no to.

The reality of human nature is that it approaches God with wants rather than needs most of the time. Couple the inherent predisposition of man to petition God for wants, with the echoing chorus of prosperity preachers everywhere singing the praises of avarice, greed, and hedonism, telling you Christ’s only reason for coming to earth, hanging on a cross and dying was so you might prosper and have everything you ever wanted, and you begin to see why the want supersedes the need in the hearts and minds of many today.

We need the power of God; we need the presence of the Holy Spirit; we need to live lives of sanctification and righteousness…but we want flashy cars; we want big mansions; we want no accountability, and we want an easy ride to the other side, where God is waiting to hand us the key to our new pad.

What is it you are asking God for in your prayers of fervency? Are you asking for the things of this earth, or the things of the kingdom of God? Are you seeking the things that are above, or are you still mesmerized by the worthless things of this temporal existence?

Not only must we learn how to pray, but also what we ought to pray for.

The individual who has learned the art of what it is he ought to pray for has discovered true joy, true peace, and true happiness in life.

Countless souls today pray for things that they could still not enjoy even if they did receive them from the hand of God. Blind men don’t pray for new cars…blind men pray for sight first and foremost. Deaf men don’t pray for tickets to the symphony…they pray to receive their hearing first and foremost.

Before he can pray for the ability to be a great orator, a mute man must first pray for the ability to speak. We put the cart before the horse more often than we would like to admit, not realizing that even if God did answer our selfish prayer, it would only serve to embitter us because we would not enjoy that which we received, as we thought we would.

As Jesus departed Jericho with a great multitude in tow, two blind men sat by the side of the road, and upon hearing that Jesus was passing by, began to cry out saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’

The people of Christ’s day being no more empathetic than the people of our day began to warn the two blind men to be quiet, but rather than heed the warnings of the crowd the blind men cried out all the more, saying, ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!’

Matthew 20:32-34, “So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, ‘What do you want Me to do for you?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, that our eyes may be opened.’ So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.”

‘What do you want me to do for you?’ This is the question Jesus asked the two blind men who were crying out for Him. Jesus didn’t quantify His question; He didn’t say, ‘make sure you don’t ask for too much,’ so technically speaking, these two blind men could have asked for anything.

‘We want a new boat, and new nets, and a nice house with a veranda facing the sea, and an upper room that lets in the morning breeze…some shekels would be nice, and throw in a camel or two while you’re at it.’

This would have likely been the prayer of many a believer today, but these two blind men knew what their most vital, paramount, and immediate need was, and the only thing they fervently and passionately desired of Christ was that He meet this one need for them.

All they wanted was for their eyes to be opened, for they were blind, and having stuff, and possessions, and homes and boats would not have done them an ounce of good.

They were blind, and what they required was sight. Because their request was fervent, because they would not be silenced by the crowd, Jesus had compassion, touched their eyes and both men received their sight and followed Him.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.