Packer reminds us, “Prayer is a means to energy…Spiritual alertness, vigor, and confidence are the regular spin-offs from earnest prayer on any subject. God is never impressed by our earnestness. Paul's reference to "praying in the spirit" here cannot be taken to mean something which the praying person themselves does not understand. “When you pray, do not use vain repetitions…” (Matthew 6:7). Acts 12:5. Earnest Prayer means to pray seriously, intentionally, purposely, passionately, fervently, constantly, and with determination. Earnestly definition, with deep and sincere feeling; seriously: After earnestly delivering a sermon on helping the poor, the pastor was gratified to see … The Puritans spoke of prayer as oiling the wheels of the soul” (Knowing Christianity, 128). ... "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." The church in Acts prayed earnestly, and look what God did. What does it mean to pray earnestly? Because prayer is effective, which means, God hears his people and acts on their behalf. True, heart-felt prayer, intercessory prayer, prevailing prayer, requires HARD WORK -- LABOR. It comes from the Old French preier, which is derived from the Latin word precari, which simply means to entreat or ask.In fact, although pray is not often used this way anymore, it can simply mean “please,” as in “pray continue your story.” Praying, “Thy Kingdom come,” means we desire for His sovereign rule over our lives here on earth, as we submit to His authority and yield to His control in every aspect of our existence. God does not hear us because we pray earnestly— He hears us solely on the basis of redemption. I pray, but I don't know that I always pray earnestly? The word pray is first found in Middle English, meaning to "ask earnestly." Tom: Thanks, Gary.You’re listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a program in which we encourage everyone who desires to know God’s truth to look to God’s Word for all that is essential for salvation and living one’s life in a way that is pleasing to Him.. For some weeks now, we have been using Dave Hunt’s out-of-print book Beyond Seduction to address subjects that … Do you? Prayer is the means to maintain unbroken fellowship with our heavenly Father and unless we develop persistence in prayer and devote ourselves to praying, we are in danger of becoming lazy, disinterested, and compromised in our faith. Prayer is not simply getting things from God— that is only the most elementary kind of prayer. J.I. NKJV - 5 Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. It requires effort, and even sometimes "sweat." The Greek word proseuche translated as “earnestly” in James 5 literally means “he prayed with prayer,” which is an idiom expressing persistence in prayer. Clarify • Share • Report • Asked February 01 2015 • Anonymous The Origin of the Term . Hence, the translators said of Elijah that he “prayed earnestly.” We must refuse to be denied answers to prayers … And let us worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The phrase "earnest prayer" caught my attention. Let us love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind. The second time praying in the Spirit is mentioned is found in Ephesians 6:18. Here, Paul shares, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (NIV). What does it mean to pray earnestly? Then, in the beginning of verse 16, because prayer is effective (James 5:13–15), he says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for … Today, let us consider what it means to earnestly seek God. 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