Lesson Outline for Jan 29, 2026
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Goal – To better understand fervent and effectual prayer and its characteristics
- How are muscles developed?
- Prayer is a spiritual muscle
- Spiritual dissonance and delusional hypocrisy – want something w/out putting in the time, effort and training
- What does active and fervent prayer look like?
- Our “deserts” are meant to develop us spiritually – John the Baptist and Jesus modeled it; we can model it too
Hebrew and Greek Terms / Definitions
- fervently #G1619 “ektenos” – earnestly, stretched out, without ceasing, intense, not comfortable; Jesus prayed fervently in the garden
- effective #G1754 “energeo” – display one’s activity, be at work, put forth power
- prayer #G1162 “deesis” – prayer, seeking, asking
- righteous #G1342 “dikaios” – upright, virtuous, having right conduct, observing God’s divine laws (one who does not practice sin, lover of God’s laws) does not refer to a legalist such as a Pharisee
The green is the author’s notations in the verses below. Bold text added for emphasis
Casual prayers bring casual results and casualties
There are no casual battles
James 5:16-18 ESV – “16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer (“energeo deesis” – effective prayer) of a righteous person has great power as it is working (energeo – effective, accomplishes). 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.”
Act 12:5 ESV – “So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.”
- Casual prayer brings casual results and casualties
- Fervency is action; not soaking – Elijah had a battle prayer
- Breaking some alters / dark areas in our life is not casual
- We can’t walk in the enemy formations and expect godly results
- We can’t operate in sin and expect God’s blessing – the devil demands a tax for our unrighteousness
- When our heart is not right, our armor and weapons are affected
- Intercessors are prayer warriors, casual intercessors become casualties
Relationship with God – our heart condition matters
Sin hurts our relationship with God, to include our prayers
John 9:31-34 ESV – “31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.”
- God is sovereign. He knows our hearts, there’s no fooling God
- God always listens to a repentant sinner – Pharisee’s were not repentant
- The Pharisee spoke from a “diseased condition” of religion, rituals; they lacked love and compassion and denied the power of God – They were spiritual blind
- Pharisee loved themselves, $, power, abusive, unholy, prideful, treacherous, etc – they excommunicated the man – cast him out – they modeled a “form of godliness” 1 Tim 3:2-5
- The healed man gladly changed out religion for relationship; he experienced the love and power of God
Isa 1:15-20 ESV – “15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, 17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. 18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; 20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
- Israel and Judah walked wickedly – see 2 Kings 15-21 & 2 Chron 26-33. – Demonic worship, human sacrifices, sexual immorality to false gods, one Israelite king sacrificed his son
- God was waiting for the sinner / wicked to pray a prayer of confession and repentance; God does not partner with sin
- Practicing sin hurts our relationship with our Heavenly Father – just like in our earthly families
Psa 66:18-20 NIV – “18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; 19 but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. 20 Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”
- Did not walk in sin – see Psa 1
- He cherished / loved God – was not a “white washed tomb”
Consider this week – Set 30 minutes aside, without interruption and pray by yourself. Set aside 1 day during the week and pray with your wife for 30 minutes. Every day this week prayer over your children and wife before they go to bed
Last thoughts and considerations
- Jesus Christ said, “my house is a house of prayer” Luke 19:46, Matt 21:13
- Casual prayer produces casual results
- There are areas (alters) in our life, and our families’ lives requiring fervent battle prayer
- Prayer is a spiritual muscle – we must exercise it for development
- Life’s deserts and valleys are for our development to achieve God’s purposes for our life
- Quantity brings quality; righteousness and persistency matters
- Jesus modeled prayer – look to His model; pull down any other stronghold in our mind about prayer
Additional verses for self-study
2 Chron 7:12-15 ESV – “12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.”
- This is before King Solomon turned from God
- God was providing a warning and a path back – repentance
- God knows an “I’m sorry” emotional response from godly sorrow
1 Kings 18:41-46 ESV – “41 And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. 43 And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. 44 And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.'” 45 And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. 46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah, and he gathered up his garment and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.”
- Ahab desired comfort. Elijah recognized the shift and prayed harder
- Elijah went to the top of the mountain – go to the Third Heaven
Acts 4:23-31 See this scripture for more on praying in unity and boldness
Luke 11:8-9 ESV – “8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
- Consistency and persistence matters; we pray with boldness
- Seeking is not a casual glance, it is ACTION – seeking requires denying ourselves / our flesh
- Fervent, active prayers open doors
