BIBLE BOOK OF JAMES

EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER

Thursday – April 9, 2026

Video link: https://youtu.be/lAqtwyLSmPU

Greetings and welcome to one and all. The Lord is good to all. I will be continuing today in the Bible Book of James. I see this as a very straight forward and instructive Book in the ways of Heaven. Of course, one still cannot just read it, it must be studied with ears to hear and eyes to see. Reading Scripture is good and right but it is important that we dig beneath the surface to walk with Him in His plan for us and in all that we are heir to in Him. Now let’s go to our primary text for today.

James 5:16-18 (KJV)

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 availeth much.

17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Today we will be moving forward into the latter part of verse sixteen of our text. What is an “effectual fervent prayer”? Our primary text is talking about Elijah so let’s see his prayers for it not to rain and to rain.

1 Kings 17:1-3 (KJV)

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

3 Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.

Verse one is the effectual fervent prayer that Elijah said to stop the rain by the command of the Lord for three years. An effectual fervent prayer is one said with authority to produce an effect not necessarily lengthy. Remember that we, in this case Elijah, are to say the will of God in faith, and the Lord brings it to pass. Recall that Ahab is a very wicked King married to none other than Jezebel. If you read chapter eighteen of 1^st Kings, you will see that she has been having the prophets of God killed. However, you will see in the same chapter that God uses Elijah to kill 450 prophets of Baal. Back to 1^st Kings chapter seventeen we see God telling Elijah to hid, you can imagine this drought is not going to set well with Ahab or Jezebel. Let’s see what God says about Ahab which brought the drought.

1 Kings 16:33 (KJV)

33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Now, let’s look at Elijah’s prayer to restart the rain.

1 Kings 18:1 (KJV)

1 And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.

God tells Elijah it is time to send rain upon the earth, and he is to tell Ahab. Elijah simply tells Ahab to get ready for a real gully washer.

1 Kings 18:41-46 (KJV)

41 And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.

45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Elijah knew it was going to rain, and he continued to look with expectancy and God did as prophesied. Why didn’t God just stop the rain and restart the rain? What is the deal with involving Elijah? Man has authority in the earth and God needs to be given authority to move in the earth. The words of Elijah which were the words of God opened this legal door to God and His will was accomplished.

TAKE HOME:

An effectual fervent prayer is one said with authority to produce an effect.
God speaks to us either through His Word or directly and we say that in faith (walking in love) and He does the work.
The will of God is not accomplished with many words but obedient faith.

Lord willing, I will resume right here tomorrow. Remember, we love you, the Lord loves you, and there is nothing you can do about either one.

By: Dr. David R. Wood, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice

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