EFP Part I: How NOT to Pray (b)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)

Today we continue our series on EFP - “Effectual Fervent Prayer”. Last week we started with Part I, How NOT to Pray, and today we continue where we left off. As a reminder, let’s review our dictionary definitions about “Effectual Fervent”:

Effectual: 1. Producing, or able to produce, the desired effect. 2. Having legal force; valid.

Fervent: 1.hot; burning; glowing. 2. having or showing great warmth of feeling; intensely devoted or earnest; ardent. SYN – passionate

And as we noted last week, these are actually one word in the Greek: energeo¯ (en-erg-eh'-o) - to be active, efficient. The goal of this series is to get to the point that our prayers become like Jesus’ prayers – active, efficient - producing the desired effect. So, let’s go back to Matthew’s Gospel to get back to Jesus’ lesson on how NOT to pray:

And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say unto you, They have their reward. But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly. But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.

After this manner therefore pray: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:5-13)

We spent all last week’s lesson going over verses 5 & 6, addressing our key point that Hypocrites Love to Pray, and we stressed that Motives Matter! We concluded that praying for the wrong motives, praying for visibility and/or human response is NOT going to be effectual fervent prayer. Just a reminder, I am not saying that God will never answer your prayers if you pray the wrong way, but there is such a thing as Effectual Fervent Prayer, active, efficient - producing the desired effect. So, what else did Jesus point out to us as being ineffective? Let’s start today’s lesson in verse 7:

But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. (Matthew 6:7)

I used to repeat what is commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer” over and over again, thinking that it was having some sort of positive spiritual effect. What I didn’t know at the time was that just two sentences before Jesus taught this model for prayer he specifically instructed us to NOT use vain repetitions! Jesus stated that you will NOT be heard based on your much speaking. Here’s today’s Key Point: Much speaking does NOT produce much.

Let’s take a look at some of Jesus’ prayers:

“Peace, be still.” (Mark 4:39)

“Lazarus, come forth.” (John 11:43)

“Go.” (Matthew 8:32)

“Hold your peace, and come out of him.” (Matthew 1:25/Luke 4:35)

Go ahead and look up the complete accounts of each of these – every one of these prayers were totally effectual (as were all of Jesus’ prayers, to state the obvious). We discussed it as we went through The Believer’s Authority series, and we’ll spend more time on it in future lessons in this series, but the most effectual prayers are when we are simply speaking out and enforcing the authority God has already given us (as a matter of fact, unless God has already provided for, or given us authority in an area, our prayer isn’t going to force God’s hand!). There’s no need to be long winded – just speak The Word in faith. A lot of times, the shorter the prayer, the stronger the faith!

As we discussed last week, how much time you spend in prayer isn’t what is critical – one minute spent speaking in faith with the correct motives will be far more effectual that spending one hour filling time reciting a laundry list of needs and wants. Back when I first became a Christian, I used to set a cooking timer to one hour, and then struggle to fill the time. Although it did help me to develop a discipline to pray, it was not the comfortable, joyful, relationship building communication that God intended prayer to be.

Again, am I saying that God will never answer your prayers if you pray the wrong way? Not necessarily – God is bigger than that. But let’s be aware that vain repetitions and idle words to just fill time will not be active, efficient prayer – producing the desired effect. Vain repetition and much speaking is a time waster – it is NOT going to be Effectual Fervent Prayer.

Join us next week as we continue this lesson: EFP Part I: How NOT to Pray (c).

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