Fervent prayer? This is nothing to be scared of or feel inadequate to accomplish. Fervent prayer is prayer that comes from a heart desperate for more of Jesus. Fervent prayer is for all of us.
But first, what is FERVENT? Another word for fervent is passionate. The dictionary defines fervent as great intensity of spirit or hot, burning and glowing. How can our prayers be PASSIONATE? Glowing? How do we pray with more intensity?
One of the first things that fervent prayer requires is humility and just realizing our NEED for Christ. When we go to Him from that place of desperation, our prayers become more fervent.
3 Methods for Fervent Prayer
Praying the Scriptures – read a verse, pray a verse. Pray and ask God to help you with something in the verse, ask God to make you more like the person of faith you are reading about in the Bible. Speak the very words of God right back to Him. {Find lots of resources for praying God’s Word here.}
Praying all day long – all through the day, as you clean, “Lord, create in me a clean heart.” As you teach your children, “God give me grace and patience and wisdom.” As you fix dinner, “thank You, God, for Your provision.” To pray without ceasing is not a difficult thing that only super-Christians can attain. Praying without ceasing is our realization that we are desperate for Jesus and we are lost without Him…every minute of every day.
Written prayers – I love having verses posted around my house on index cards, in pretty frames and written on chalk boards. Writing out the Word of God does something for your heart. Write out your prayers in the mornings or at night before bed. Keep a gratitude journal listing the things you thank God for. Write down verses and carry them with you to pray during the day. {Read about one way I write my prayers here.}
I hope these simple ideas have sparked in your heart a desire to pray FERVENTLY before the Lord. Even in the chaos of life, we can choose to fix our eyes on Jesus through fervent prayer throughout our chaotic days.
If you would like more encouragement and help in forming strategies for fervent prayer, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the book Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer
I loved your entire article, with your permission I would like to include it in our Sunday morning Adult Sunday School Class for a topic of discussion. Your article is extremely well written and has already influenced me to be more Fervent, God Bless You for Blessing Me, Thank You David Jones
David, I would be happy for you to include my article for discussion! Thank you for your kind words!
Thank you for your wisdom that God has provided.
I too love this reminder of what fervent prayer means. Deep, passionate desperate longing for deeper relationship with Our Lord. The part you wrote about praying the Scriptures has deep roots in the Catholic Church called lectio divina. Thank you my friend