What Is Fervent Prayer and How Do We Do It?
- Cally Logan Author of The Wallflower That Bloomed
- Updated Jun 19, 2019
Fervent prayer is a deep, focused, and passion-filled petition to God. Prayer in itself is aligning and communing with God the Creator, but delving into a prayer of deep fervor remarkably changes not only circumstances, but the person who prays as well. This is the kind of prayer that Jesus meant when he spoke of faith that can move mountains (Matthew 21:21).
Two Examples of Fervent Prayer in the Bible
Throughout the Bible, there are countless examples of such a deep kind of request.
Hannah
In the book of 1 Samuel, Hannah’s story is conveyed. Hannah was the mother of Samuel, but the road to becoming a mother required great faith and fervent prayer:
“...Hannah replied, ‘I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.’ Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.’” (1 Samuel 1:15-17)
The Lord remembered Hannah. He saw not only her pure intent and desire to be a mother, but also her intent and desire to be a faithful servant to the Lord. It was because of the Lord’s favor and Hannah’s arduous prayer that Samuel was born.
Samuel would go on to be one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament. In 1 Samuel 3:19, we read that not a single one of Samuel’s words dropped, meaning his discernment and accuracy in hearing the Lord were without compare. He would also be the prophet to crown not only the first king of Israel, Saul, but also the king after God’s own heart, David.
Daniel
Fervent prayer is often coupled with fasting prayer. Fasting is the act of abstaining from food and drink, or another type of sacrifice (many today refrain from social media, television, or other distractions) to devote time to earnest supplication. This is shown in the Bible through Daniel’s story in Daniel 10:10-14.
“A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, ‘Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.’ And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.’”
Daniel fasted and remained deep in prayer for twenty-one days. When the angel arrived to answer Daniel, we discover that the angel had been sent immediately as Daniel began to pray, but all of the spiritual forces coming against the angel delayed his arrival.
God is not slow as some of us count slowness; rather, He knows the exact time and measures that will need to be taken in order to answer prayer.
How Can We Pray with Fervor?
Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, meaning that the same God who gave a child to Hannah and sent an angel to aid Daniel still works the same miracles today.
Because of the sacrifice and promise fulfilled by Christ, there is no longer the need to enter a temple to reach the Father directly. We can come before Him as His children with our own requests.
James 5:16 shares, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
Our prayers are precious to Him, for we are precious to Him. Our prayers hold power, for we are no longer aiming to control the situation ourselves; rather, we are coming before the Creator of the universe to ask Him to move on our behalf. No longer are we seeking to carry the weight of things ourselves; rather, we are calling upon the one who made all that is, was, and will be to work in His power and might.
Jesus spoke of such prayer in Matthew 7:8: “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” Similarly, David highlights in Psalm 37:4, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart.”
What is important to remember is that through our fervency, we must allow His will to be done in us and the situation.
Often God allows circumstances in our lives that require this kind of imploring because He wants us to grow as people and to grow in Him. Allowing our hearts, our wills, and our desires to come to the throne allows Him to do His greatest work, not only in the events occurring, but in our own souls as well. You will not leave such a season of intense contemplation without being changed.
It is important to note that fervent prayer does not mean your words must be ornate or fanciful. Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit can translate wails, moans, and tears into prayer. Do not be afraid to pour your heart out to the one who made it, for He already knows. The communion of deep prayer allows us to go past the surface and delve into the depths of the Spirit in order to meet Him at the throne.
Find a quiet place free from distraction, seek forgiveness for your wrongs, and forgive those who have wronged you; then speak. Know that you are conveying the truths you may not be able to share with another living being to the one who loves you most. Then listen—listen with your mind, your spirit, and your heart open to His most beneficial answer for your circumstances.
5 Bible Verses to Encourage Fervent Prayer
“Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:28-30)
“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14)
“The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.” (Psalm 34:15)
The Fruit of Fervent Prayer Is Life-Changing
The Lord views you as His beloved child. He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to not only die as a sacrifice, but to rise again to fulfill a promise.
Although we may think He is slow to help us, He is sovereign and has His reasons for delaying. As it says in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake.”
Coming before Him in fervent prayer requires a heart open to the moving work He will do within us. But the fruit of fervent prayer will be life changing.
As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, but in all ways, seek Him, and He will make your path straight.”
The God that gave Hannah a child, closed the mouths of lions for Daniel, and transformed David from a shepherd boy into a king is right there to help you.
Photo Credit: GettyImages/stevanovicigor
