“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working]. James 5:16b AMP
When a righteous man prays a continued, earnest, heartfelt, prayer, there is a tremendous power that is released – a dynamic active power that effectively goes to work – producing the desired result. If you want our prayers to be answered, there are a few things that you must do to ensure the desired result – you must walk righteously before the Lord, you must pray sincerely and fervently – and very importantly – you must pray according to God’s will.
5 Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 “Then the one inside answers, `Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:5-13 NIV
Jesus uses many examples of natural principles to help you to understand spiritual principles. In this case, He speaks of a man for whom it is an inconvenience to get out of bed to give his friend the bread he is requesting. He tells him to go away and stop bothering him and his family. However, because the friend persists and does not give up, the man eventually climbs over his sleeping kids, gets out of bed, grabs the bread and gives him the three loaves. He probably asked him if there was anything else he needed, and gave it to him while he was up, because he did not want to get out of bed again.
The spiritual principle here is one of persistent faith – not taking no for an answer. When you pray an “if it be Thy will” prayer, there is no faith involved because there is no expectation of an answer. This is the prayer of a person who wants to take no responsibility for their own destiny – they want God to take the responsibility for everything that happens to them. This is also the prayer of a person who does not want to get their hopes up and then be disappointed, so they don’t even look for a specific answer or result. If it happens – they would be happy. If it doesn’t – they haven’t lost anything. This is not the way the Lord tells you to pray. He tells you to ask and to keep on asking as if you expect an answer!
He even assures you that even as you, as a natural parent, are good to your children and bless them when they ask for something, your Father God is even more wonderful and faithful to answer your specific prayers and requests and give you the good things you asked for.
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, `Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, `Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:1-8 NIV
If an unjust judge would try a woman’s case and give her justice, just because of her persistence, then how much more will your God, Who loves you, hear you and move on your behalf when you are persistent in your faith. The woman knew that the law was on her side, all she needed was for the judge to do his job. You must know what the Word has promised you and then you must persist in your faith until you receive all that has been promised to you.