Fervent prayer

Yesterday’s WFTD scripture taught us that the Bible teaches us that “fervent” prayer by a righteous person accomplishes much. I do not catch myself “fervently” praying that much. Last night I was whining to one of my sons about how disappointedI am that I have not been able to lead a friend of mine to the Lord. I chalked his rejection up to having a free will. He is making a deliberate decision to reject Jesus even though a compelling case has been presented. I had all but resigned myself to a fatalistic attitude about this guy ending up eternally separated from the Lord, and consoling myself by telling myself that I had done all that I can do to lead him to the lord, and my friend’s stubborn rejection was to blame and not my lack of effort.

The verse from yesterday has been haunting me all night. This morning at 3:00 AM I finally admitted that no I have not “fervently” prayed for my friend; yesI have prayed for him, but not fervently. Jesus was a good example of fervently praying in the Garden the night before His ordeal. He fervently prayed “until his sweat actually turned into great drops of blood, but the disciples could not stay awake and pray with Him. (Reminds me of me.)

I have tried to fervently pray in the past, but have not been successful in staying focused. I’m going to renew my efforts and try fervently praying for my buddy. If you have problems, or are trying to accomplish something that is very difficult, why not give “fervent” prayer a try? I believe that the quickness of the victory of the war in Iraq and small number of casualties was in part due to the fervent prayers of our President and millions of people throughout our greatcountry fervently praying for those results. The Bible is clear that prayer works and fervent prayer works miracles.

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Luke 22:43
Then an angel appeared to Him
from heaven,strengthening Him.
And being in agony, He prayed
more earnestly. Then His sweat
became like great drops of blood
falling down to the ground.
When he rose up from prayer,
and had come to His disciples, He
found them sleeping from sorrow.
Then he said to them, Why do
you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you
enter into temptation.
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How well do you know the Bible?
Who was the King that mocked Jesus and gave Him thegorgeous robeprior to His crucifixion? (This robe fulfilled a prophecy uttered centuries before His death that those who put Him to death would gamble for His robe.)
1. Pilate
2. Herod
3. Caesar
Luke 23:8-11

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