…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
If you’ve been a believer for any period of time, you’ve probably heard it taught that for prayer to be effective it must be fervent. However, if we misunderstand the word fervent, we may feel that we have to work up some strong emotion before we pray; otherwise, our prayers will not be effective.
I know there were many years when I believed this way, and perhaps you have been likewise misled. But praying fervently just means that our prayers must come from our heart and be sincere.
I remember enjoying prayer times when I could feel God’s presence, and then wondering what was wrong during the times when I didn’t feel anything. I learned after a while that faith is not based on feelings or emotions but the knowledge of the heart.
At times I experience a great deal of emotion while I’m praying. But there are more times when I don’t feel emotional. Prayer that brings us closer to God only happens when we pray in faith, regardless of what we feel at any particular moment.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, I trust that my earnest, heartfelt prayers are effective because my faith is in You, God, not in my own ability to pray passionately or eloquently. Thank You for helping me trust in faith, not my feelings, amen.
