A Devotional Life

Building a successful prayer life post series [James 5:16] «  effective prayer    committing to prayer    persisting in prayer    hindrances to prayer  » So prayer is a communication with God and a spiritual warfare and is always an effective spiritual exercise; hence effective prayer. However there are stumbling blocks which could make one’s prayers ineffective (or seem a waste) despite the commitment and persistence. We’ll consider those hindrances as given in the bible. Iniquity – Sin is the primary hindrance to prayer. Psalms 66:18; ‘If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me’. The scripture of study (James 5:16) specifies ‘…of a righteous man…’ Broken (disunited) marriages is a hindrance to prayer. 1 Peter 3:7; ‘Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.’ S...

Building a successful prayer life post series [James 5:16] «  effective prayer    committing to prayer    persisting in prayer    hindrances to prayer  » So the term from our key passage (in James 5:16) is ‘effectual fervent’ – fervency is a word that is used to describe a ‘glowingly hot’ object or an act of ‘passionate enthusiasm’, otherwise known as persistence or zeal. Jesus committed to prayer; he as well persisted in His prayers. Persisting in prayer could demand some spiritual exercise like fasting, as seen in the life of Christ – his admonishment to His disciples in Matthew 17:21. Committing to prayer is generally developing the attitude of prayer, and Persisting in prayer is travailing in prayer (for a particular need – taking authority: the PUSH technique; Pray Until Something Happens), holding on for an answer. Luke 18:1 - ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;’ From the...

Building a successful prayer life post series [James 5:16] «  effective prayer    committing to prayer    persisting in prayer    hindrances to prayer  » The point is: prayer begins and prayer sustains. This is an important point about prayer that we all have to understand. God loves the world and even loves us while we were yet sinners, and it was that love that brought about the work of the cross. However, the love of God and the work of the cross do not itself insure a relationship with the Father, until we take a step of faith and utter the words of repentance and accept that love and the work of the cross – prayer. Then a conscious relationship begins. Prayer begins our relationship with God and prayer sustains our relationship with God. Furthermore in the Christian faith, prayer begins so many other supernatural acts of God through our lives and it’s only prayer and the Word that sustains his divine work in us. So there’s a popular ...

Building a successful prayer life post series [James 5:16] «  effective prayer    committing to prayer    persisting in prayer    hindrances to prayer  » The bible records in James 5:16 that ‘The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.’ So what is effectual (or potentially effective) prayer – this is prayer by the Spirit (also known as praying in the Spirit). The Holy Spirit births effective prayer and this is actualized through His divine promptings in our hearts. Effective prayer is neither the five minutes monitored prayer in the morning, nor the one hour timed prayer, it is the prayer led by the Spirit. The point is that; it’s not clocked, it is fervent (see Persisting in Prayer ) and it avails much as the bible records (in other words it is helpful and yields results). Since effective prayer is Spirit-led, it is therefore not flesh-driven(your spirit with the Spirit), which implies that it is centred on the will ...