James 5:16 ... The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
To be effectual, the prayer must be according to the will of God.
And the prayer must be fervent from the heart and not from the mind. (red hot prayer)
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One day, I was going into Walmart and met an acquaintance whom I have not seen in several months. We chatted and then she almost grabbed hold of me, not wanting to let me get away before she asked me to pray that her house would sell.
She saw an opportunity in me to get something from God that she had not been able to get for herself.
I just stared at her. I did not agree to pray on this matter nor did I pray about this matter. I do not know the will of God concerning this woman's house. I know what this woman wants but I do not know what God wants. To be effectual I would have to believe I knew the will of God in the matter.
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I had a young friend ... a man who was about 45 years old ... he had a terrible disease, ALS . He was married and had 2 children. He became paralyzed to point he could not move any part of his body. Doctors gave him a short time to live. My fervent will was that David live and be healed. But that was my will. I often prayed various things concerning David.
At one point, God gave me an open vision concerning David. I saw him on a golf course. He was jumping up and down and waving for us to come on and join him. He was going ahead of us and expressing how wonderful things were.
I felt this showed me what would happen concerning David. He would die and go on ahead of us. But I believe it also showed me that David is in a spiritual condition to die and in the vision, he was totally restored and urging us to join him "there".
I could not pray for David to live on this earth because of what God had shown me by HIS Spirit concerning David.
(David died in September, 2015)
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I have many "ministers" from around the world who write to me and list all the works they are doing and they either ask me to send money to pay for their works (which I do not do) or they ask me to pray for them (which I do not do either).
If the work is really authored by the Spirit of God, God will provide what is needed and you do not have to try to get other humans to pay for the work.
(There is no example in Bible where ministers asked people for money to pay for their works.)
And I do not pray for their works. I do not have information that their many "good" works are authored by God and they tell me nothing that would indicate the various works are authored by God. They often tell me they want to do such & such. But that does not mean God wants them to do this work although the work might seem to be a "good" work.
Jesus said ... Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to ME in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Mt. 7:21-23
We see from this scripture that many will come to Jesus showing "wonderful works" and Jesus will call the people workers of iniquity and demand for them to depart from HIM.
Unless God has told the person to do that work, it will not be a good work though it might seem good. And unless God authors the work, they will be unlikely to be able to do the work without begging others for money or figuring out schemes to get money from other people.
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Let me present the following example to you: January 10, 1980, I was sleeping and a voice (I believe from an angel) that was as loud as a trumpet said three words to me. I jumped out of bed. The words spoken to me were: Hartford, Seattle, KWJS. (KWJS turned out to be a radio station.)
I began praying: "God are you wanting me to go on radio? I wouldn't know how to do that."
Gentle thought from Holy Spirit, "Call the radio station manager.”
I called the radio station manager that morning and told him God might be showing me to go on radio and I asked how you do that. He told me to make an audition tape 29 1/2 minutes long and send it to him and if I fit into their broadcast format they would offer me a contract. (I made the tape immediately and sent it to him.)
Then I asked God how HE wanted me to pay for the broadcasts.
Gentle thought from Holy Spirit, "Send letter to the people you know and tell them what happened."
I knew fewer than 80 people at the time but I wrote letter and copied 80 copies and mailed it to the people. I did not ask them for money. I just told them what had happened. Within 24 hrs. there was sufficient money given to pay for first month's broadcast. I was on radio within a week.
When I share this example, do you see God in it?
Does it appear to you that God authored the radio work?
This makes all the difference.
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Have you ever had a person come to you saying, "Pray for me" ... and when you tried to pray, you were stone cold dead and had no idea what to pray? And often you feel very responsible, guilty, and burdened when this happens.
(So often they come to me saying "pray for me" and then they go on to tell me exactly what to pray. This seems so silly to me. I wonder why they don't pray. And if they do not have the faith to pray, how can I?")
This is the example of a fleshly situation which is not "fervent" (nor is it effectual) ...
For prayer to be successful it must be "fervent" (red hot), from the heart, not from pressure to pray or thinking you have to pray.
Most of us have examples of having a prayer that is "fervent" ...
It will do no good to pray a cold mental prayer by human request.
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Several years ago, a neighbor invited me to Thanksgiving dinner at her house. She asked me if I would give the prayer before the meal. I told her I would not. I knew it was simply a formality and had no real meaning. I know they didn't usually pray before meals. And when people will go about eating an apple or cookie without prayer, why do they pray over a meal? Food is food. I told her I try not to be too hypocritical. I did go to the dinner and someone else went through the formality of praying. I didn't bow my head and try to appear religious. I just kept my eyes open and looked at them as the person prayed and I was glad when the prayer ended. I knew it was simply a prayer for people and not a prayer to God.
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There was a time when I played bridge. We often had catered meals before we played. And often a man named John "prayed" before the meal. Most people closed their eyes and bowed their heads during the prayer. I did not close my eyes. I just watched John and the people. John would begin praying with his head bowed, and when people had eyes closed, he would reach into his pocket and pull out a paper and begin reading his very long "prayer", which was more like a fleshly sermon. Anyway I knew this was not really a prayer to God nor was this from the heart. It was just a fleshly, mental exercise done to impress men.
(Finally, when I went to these bridge events where I knew John was going to give a long meaningless prayer, I escaped into the bathroom and stayed there and talked to God until John had time to finish praying, and then I would go out and get in the food line.)
Jesus said: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Mt. 23:14
Also Jesus said: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: Mt. 23:5
I do not allow people to pressure me to pray. I know this will not work. If the person wants to tell me something he is going through, then if God puts it on my heart to pray, I will.
And when I pray, I am talking directly to God ... not to audience of people. And I expect it to mean something when I pray. And I expect results. And this is what happens.
And I avoid nonsense prayers from men to other men.
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Mt. 6 ... Jesus said, concerning prayer ... And when thou prayest, thou shalt 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. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
At one town where I lived, the people across the street did home schooling. One day, I looked out and about 15 of the home schoolers and teachers were standing in the front yard in a circle holding hands. They had their eyes closed and their head bowed. It was obvious they were praying. What an abomination.
To me it is a terrible thing to see football players kneeling down on football field, usually with one hand on forehead, head bowed, eyes closed …showing people they are praying.
“Why don’t these men just pray silently while standing in upright position if they are really talking to God?”
It is obvious the prayer is to men in the football stadium and to the TV cameras, not to God. And religious types love this nonsense. But it is an abomination and Jesus calls such men “hypocrites”.
Mt. 6 … Jesus says …
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
After this manner therefore pray ye: 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 thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.