Mk. 14:39; Jas. 5:16; 1 Ki. 18:41-46, Fervent Prayer

We are still considering Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane.  We have seen that it was both a time of fellowship with His Father and a request from the Father.  There is no conflict between these things.  God wants us to come with our requests (Phil. 4:6-7).

Let me remind you of another well-known statement about prayer in the Bible: The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16).  This is an interesting passage if you delve into the original language.  Young’s Literal Trans. puts it this way: very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man.  “Effectual, fervent” prayer is one word, meaning a very energized prayer.  When a righteous man prays that kind of prayer it accomplishes many strong things. 

The illustration in James is Elijah (1 Ki. 18:41-46).  Elijah, after the amazing experience on Mt. Carmel, God sending fire from heaven, and the killing of all the prophets of Baal, then got down on his knees and began to pray.  There was no answer, and again no answer.  He sent his servant seven times to look for a cloud before he finally saw something small that became a torrential downpour.  Elijah’s prayer was fellowship with God, but it wasn’t like enjoying a coffee together.  He was pleading with God.  His was a strong prayer, highly energized.  He would not let go of the LORD.  And it accomplished much.

This kind of praying is seen often in Scripture.  Jacob wrestled with a Man, the Angel of the LORD, all night at Mahanaim (Gen. 32:22-32).  Epaphras knew how to wrestle or labor fervently in prayer (Eph. 4:12).  In Gethsemane we see the Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth praying a simple prayer: “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”  He prayed this prayer for a time.  Then He went to check on the disciples and returned to pray the same prayer again.  He had three sessions with His Father.  We are all familiar with the short prayers, spur-of-the-moment pleas to the Lord.  Nehemiah prayed one of those in Neh. 2:4, a quick dart in the middle of his conversation with the king.  But Nehemiah had previously spent “many days” weeping and fasting and praying over the issue.  I must have more of these times!

So, we come back to Jesus in the Garden.  This is a righteous Man, without question.  We could go to the many scriptures that tell us He was without sin.  But let me remind you of the pivotal point in Mark’s Gospel, in 8:34.  It was here He told His disciples and the crowd how to be righteous, and what He told them to do was what He was doing: let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  The prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane is based in His submission to His Father.  He had denied Himself and had taken up the cross.  We will see in the next couple of posts what great things were availed by His praying, the praying of a righteous Man!