Effectual, Fervent Prayer

Psalms 119:18-20 MSG Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-
wonders. (19) I'm a stranger in these parts; give me clear directions. (20) My soul is
starved and hungry, ravenous!-- insatiable for your nourishing commands.

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

James 5:16 MSG Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The
prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned
with.

Effectual and fervent comes from one word – energeo – which means to work and be
effective.

Work – Websters 7. To operate; to produce effects by action or influence.

Work = force * distance

If the prayer does not result in motion somewhere, it does not do work. In order for
there to be motion, their needs to be a force – power.

What we speak of tonight is not carnal, not fleshly, but spiritual.

Romans 8:6-7 KJVR For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually

minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for
it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Matthew 16:21-23 KJVR From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his
disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the
elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third
day. (22) Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from
thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. (23) But he turned, and said unto Peter,
Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Matthew 16:23 GNB Jesus turned around and said to Peter, "Get away from me,
Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come
from God, but from human nature."

It is possible to hear a voice that is not of God and believe that it is. Peter heard and
believed such a voice and he was walking with Jesus.

1
Challenge every thought that comes to your mind – if it is of God, there are 2 tests. The
first is to praise and worship God and see if you have to force the thought to stay.

1 John 4:1-3 MSG My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully
weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God
comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. (2) Here's
how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his
faith in Jesus Christ--the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood
person--comes from God and belongs to God. (3) And everyone who refuses to
confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of
antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!

The second is time. If it is of God, then it will survive the test of time.

Isaiah 55:11-13 KJVR So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it
shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (12) For ye shall go out with joy, and
be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you
into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. (13) Instead of
the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the
myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that
shall not be cut off.

Once we understand that the things we are dealing with are not flesh and blood, but are
spirit, we can move on.

Matthew 6:13 KJVR And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Power comes from God. We cannot find spiritual power within ourselves.

Two words that mean power

Exousia – the permission or right to exert power and authority
Dumamis – The ability to exert power and authority, specifically miraculous or supernatural
power

Exousia – What gives us permission to take authority?

Luke 10.19 Power to tread on serpents and scorpions

Rev 22.14 They have the tree of life
John 1.12 Power to the sons of god
Matt 10.1 Power against things
Mark 6.7 Power against unclean spirits
Rev 2.26 Power over nations

2
We are given authority to perform the certain acts. What does that really mean? Can
you translate that into action? If you are given authority to perform an act beyond your
capability, have you been given anything?

Mark 16.16-17 These signs follow the believer

John 17.20-21 We are one with Jesus
John 14.12 Because we are with him, greater works can we do
Rom 8.15-17 Joint heirs
John 17.1-3 Inheritors of eternal life
John 17:1-3 MSG Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he
said: Father, it's time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn
may show your bright splendor. (2) You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. (3) And this is the real
and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus
Christ, whom you sent.
Eph 1.11 Holy Spirit of promise
2 Cor 1.22 Sealed by the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:29-33 MSG God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He
decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as
the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the
original and intended shape of our lives there in him. (30) After God made that
decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name.
After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after
getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he
had begun. (31) So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we
lose? (32) If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our
condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything
else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? (33) And who would dare tangle with God
by messing with one of God's chosen?

Matt 28.19 All power (exuousia)

Acts 1.8 power (dumamous)

1 Cor 1.26 We are in Christ and if in Christ, then we are heirs to the power, we are the
dunamous.

Not limited to any one person, but only limited to those who will give themselves to the
Holy Spirit

Acts 3.6-8 Chose men, one was Stephan. Not an anointed one, just a believer who
believed that God’s exousia would turn into dunamous if he believed.

Eph 3.14-20 Power working in us beyond our comprehension.

Eph 1.18-23 Power upon power

3
2 Pet 1.2-4 Exceeding great promises

Psa 138.7

1 John 5:14-15 KJVR And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any
thing according to his will, he heareth us: (15) And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Ephesians 6:10-13 KJVR Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power
of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of
God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle
on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when
it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. (14) Truth, righteousness, (15)
peace, (16) faith, (17) and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them.
You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. (18) In
the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for
your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no
one falls behind or drops out.