Prayer is our foremost business. Prayer is our main business. We are to give ourselves to prayer. Our Father hears us when we pray. He has said in His Word, ‘the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much!’ We are that righteous man! “For He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” We are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are the righteousness of God in Him. We are that righteous man. We must see to it that our prayers are fervent. We will be fervent! For the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Our prayers work! (Kenneth Hagin)

Biblical Basis

Isaiah 43:26, “Put me in remembrance: let us plead together: declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.”

Philemon 1:6, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 61:1-4, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”

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

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

- What is prayer? What are some different ways to pray? Elaborate please.

- Discuss some personal benefits you have experienced from prayer?

- Who is a righteous person and why is righteousness essential to effective prayer?

Key Points

1. Prayer is speaking God’s Word back to Him, reminding Him of it.

2.Prayer is acknowledging everything good in you which is in Christ.

3.Prayer is fellowship with the Lord. Thanksgiving, praise and worship are other forms of prayer.

4.The prayers of the righteous must be effective and fervent.

5.Prayer done by the righteous accomplishes much!

Prayer Principles

The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer found in (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4). This prayer is more of a prayer model than it is an actual prayer for believers to pray.

We can talk to God any place, anytime, in any situation, but to be able to hear His voice clearly and become intimate, it usually means finding a quiet place. (Matthew 14:23; Mark 1:35; 1 Tim. 2:8; Psalm 63:1-2)

“Men ought ALWAYS to pray and not faint.” (Luke 18:1-8) Prayer should be persistent! God’s people should be unrelenting in their praying. We should not become weary but the devil should become weary and faint in his plans. (1 Thess. 5:17-18, 25; Ephesians 6:18)

Make it a habit of regularly pray Pauline Prayers listed below for you and your loved ones:

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 1:16-23

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21

“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11