A Fervent Prayer

Each person has something that tugs at their heart; something that resonates in their heart or that they are passionate about. So, when they talk about such things, you might sometimes see their passion or intensity in the way they speak. That in itself is fervency. If we are fervent in the spirit and pray with fervor, we are passionate or intense in how we pray. We pray this way not because we think more passion means more chance of our prayers being heard by God. No, we pray passionately and intensely because it is our hearts’ cry to do so.

Heavenly Father, may I always pray constantly and fervently regarding the things close to my heart, praying with passion and intensity because I care. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Fervent, Passionate, and Intense

As mentioned above, being fervent means being passionate and intense. In Romans 12:11-12, Paul prescribes to us how we are to live a life that is pleasing to God and what the marks of a faithful Christian are. He teaches us that we are not to be slothful in zeal; that we are to be fervent in spirit and serve the Lord. We are also to be patient in tribulation and constant in prayer. Prayer is always integral in the Christian life. Besides praying for our concerns (Phil 4:6-7), the Bible also calls on us to pray and intercede for all people, including our family, friends, workmates, government officials, etc. (1 Timothy 2:1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people).

In other words, Paul instructs the believers that being a Christian means being zealous for God, passionate or fervent as we serve Him, and constant in prayer. So, serving God and aiming to glorify Him means being constant and fervent in prayer.

But why do we become passionate in prayer? Does that mean we must always set our mood to be intense before diving into prayer? No. Being fervent about something and praying about it to God is inherent in every Christian. It is inherent because God will always put something into our hearts that we are to pray for fervently and passionately. For example, the Bible calls us to love God and others (Mark 12:30-31). We ultimately display our love for others by seeking their spiritual well-being and preaching the Gospel. So, we desire that others come to know Christ out of love and compassion. Such love for others causes us to want others to hear the Gospel and become passionate about it. That is why when we pray for the salvation of others we are fervent, passionate, and zealous—it is so close to our hearts.

The same applies to other interests as well. Whether it is for the poor, the oppressed, the government, the widows, the orphans, those who are away from the Lord, those who are blinded by the pleasures of the world, or whatever it is that God has placed in your heart, it is something that you are passionate about. So you pray fervently to the Lord about the things you are burdened with.

Moved by Compassion

Although it is not the only driving factor as to why we become fervent (ultimately, we become this way because of God and knowing Him), one of the things that causes a believer to be fervent in their prayers is the compassion they have. Compassion is not just mere empathy, by which a person thinks about what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes. It is that which moves a person to really feel what the other person is feeling. That way, it causes one person to pray for another, and they will pray with fire and passion.

An example of compassion being displayed comes in (Matthew 9:36  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.). When Jesus saw the crowd, He had compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. The Greek word for the word “compassion” is “splagchnizomaiI.” In its context, the Greek word is actually commonly associated with bowels. But why is that so? If our stomachs are feeling bad and we really have to go to the bathroom, the intense feeling we have in our bowels or stomach moves us to go to the bathroom immediately. We don’t just sit around, relaxed and oblivious. Or, if we are very hungry, our inner bowels will move us to look for food. In other words, compassion is a deep sense of empathy and sympathy coupled with the innermost feelings of the person.

As you can see, compassion is not just emotion on a surface level. It causes us to respond and move in line with the suffering of others. As for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, it moved Him to the point that He died for our sins. Likewise, we who are God’s chosen ones who ought to be compassionate, ought to be moved by compassion (Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.). One of the ways we put that into action is by praying for the well-being of others. As we pray, we pray with fervor because of our deep compassion for those who are suffering.

Father in heaven, stir up compassion in me. Open my eyes to the suffering of others and move me to be their channel for Your love, mercy, and grace through my deeds and prayers. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

How Do I Pray with Fervency?

Fervency comes naturally for something close to our hearts. Knowing this, the first step you can take is to reflect on what God has placed in your heart. There are things that God has inherently placed in our hearts that we ought to be fervent about, such as those who are lost because they haven’t heard the Gospel yet. The Bible teaches us that we are to have compassion for them. So, we pray fervently for those who haven’t heard the Gospel to come to know Christ, repent, and follow Him (Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.). There are also things that God has placed in our hearts or something we have developed a heart for. For example, it could be a minority in Africa, those who are in prison, or the students on your campus.

As you pray for what is in your heart, pray fervently, for it comes naturally when you have compassion. Remember that fervor is not exactly the tone of your voice that makes you speak passionately. It is more about the burden that you are bearing (a good kind of burden)—the things that God has placed in your heart for which you want to seek well-being.

Below is an example of a prayer made for those who are in prison:

Father in heaven, I pray for those in prison in whom society has lost hope. I pray that the Gospel will reach those who are incarcerated and help them find eternal life in Christ. May they understand that they are spiritually free in Christ, are new creations, and are adopted as God’s children no matter what they are convicted of. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We pray fervently when we pray for what is in our hearts. We pray passionately and intensely because those things we pray for are the things that matter to us.