I am wondering in these most uncertain times, with the Coronavirus and its effects, how many people are Praying for others? At the same time, I wonder if people are Praying in Earnestness, or with fervency? “Say What”?! You may be asking. In other words, when you Pray, are you Praying in an Ernest manner, being Fervent as you Pray? We know what is meant by being Ernest, but what about Fervent? It is actually about the same thing. Praying in an “Ernest” manner is about the same thing as being “Fervent” in Prayer. So, what do I mean when asking this question? The answer is in the Holy Word of God.
James 5:15-17 “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.”
Here are two examples to the original question: “Effectual FERVENT Prayer,” and then it adds “of a Righteous man availeth much.” And then we see where Elias “Prayed Earnestly” for it NOT to rain. Now does it make any sense to you? Fervent and Ernest Prayer is the sort of Prayer with a “Groaning Heart.” Oops… popped another of those strange words… right?
“Groan or Groaning”
1) to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance
2) to make a harsh sound (as of creaking) under sudden or prolonged strain
Webster’s On-Line Dictionary
So, as we see here, Groaning in Prayer would be a very deep, Heart-felt Prayer that is “soulful, of great importance, done so under stress.” So once again, I am asking, how many people PRAY in like manner? I ask this simply because (First of all) you are Praying to the Lord God! The God that made absolutely everything! HE allows you to have the Next Breath of air and the next Heartbeat! HE is all Holy…all Righteous…and HE deserves it! After that being clearly in your Heart and mind, you ask for Forgiveness of your Sins, to be covered with HIS Blood from the Cross. It is then, and only then, you may ask the Lord God for anything…but…again, because HE is God…you need to Pray in an Ernest and Fervent manner… as if Groaning from the depths of your heart.
We must understand to whom we are Praying and then to be Honest in our Hearts about what we want of the Lord God. Please note, this is NOT “Rub-a-dub-dub, thanks for the Grub” by any manner! Prayer is to be a solemn activity and should be done with a sincere heart! It should also be used after truly considering what you are going to ask for. One must also remember, it should be something of some worth, especially being that you are asking of the Lord God. Please remember,
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Of course, you must understand that you must belong to Jesus Christ if you want your Prayers to be heard by the Lord. The only Prayer that the Lord God hears from an Unbeliever is the Prayer asking the Lord Jesus Christ to save them. Prayer is the greatest and most powerful action that we humans can use in this world. That is because the Lord God is listening to you; and again, HE will hear and then respond to you. Trust me Friends; I did NOT say the Lord would answer your Prayer…as YOU would like… I said HE would answer your Prayer… according to HIS Perfect Will in your life. That is so important to understand… Wow!
May I remind you of what happens when One does not go before the Lord in the correct manner? Let’s take a look, first at the Pharisee:
Luke 18:11-12 “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.”
And then a look at the Publican:
Luke 18:13-14 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.“
“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Please note what is said in the last paragraph. That is what the Lord Jesus Christ stated! Wow… One must be “Humble”? I must say, the Lord does NOT like a Proud individual! So now we understand that we must be Humble in our Hearts when we go before the Lord God. Evidence that we are before a Great and awesome God and we need to be careful. Why do you think we should be on our knees when we Pray?! It definitely ain’t for exercise y’all.
We all want our Prayers to be heard, because many of us have a great need. Yet…we must do so in a particular manner and with a humble heart; otherwise, we might as well be Praying to a brick… right? It is especially important in these times with the Corona-Virus flying around… am I right? So many are out of jobs, businesses are closing, money is so tight, many are already sick. I could NOT think of a greater time to kneel in Prayer…than right now! Some do not know how to pray, so let’s help them out and bring them before the Lord God. I would also like to remind everyone that the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ…is very, very close at hand! All the more reason to go before the Lord God!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
All Passages of Scripture come from the King James Version of the Bible.
All Emphasis is mine.