INTRODUCTION: This passages says the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

1. Prayer is conversing with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him.

2. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, casual or formal.

3. It is described in many ways:

It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11);

A "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15)

A "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chron. 32:20);

A "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5)

A "drawing near to God" (Psa. 73:28)

A "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14)

Prayer presupposes:

1. A belief in the personality of God.
2. His ability and willingness to hold intercourse with us.
3. His personal control of all things and of all his creatures and all their actions.

Prayer that is acceptable to God is:
1. Sincere. (Heb. 10:22)
2. Is offered with reverence and godly fear.
3. Is offered with a humble sense of our own insignificance as creatures and of our own unworthiness as sinners, with earnest urgency, and with unhesitating submission to the divine will.
4. It must also be offered in the faith that God is, and is the hearer and answerer of prayer, and that he will fulfil his word.
"Ask, and ye shall receive" (Matt. 7:7, 8; 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13, 14), and in the name of Christ (16:23, 24; 15:16; Eph. 2:18; 5:20; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 2:5).

There are different types of prayer.
1. Secret (Matt. 6:6)
2. Social, as family prayers.
3. Prayers of worship.
4. Intercessory prayer is enjoined. (Num. 6:23; Job 42:8; Isa. 62:6; Psa. 122:6; 1 Tim. 2:1; James 5:14),

Instances on record of answers having been given to such prayers:
1. Abraham. (Gen. 17:18-20; for Ishmael's life; 18:23-32; for Sodom; 20: 7, 17, 18 for Abimelech, not to die),

2. Moses for Pharaoh (Ex. 8: 12, 13, 30, 31; Ex. 9:33),


Israelites (Ex. 17:11, 13; 32:11-14, 31-34; Num. 21:7, 8; Deut. 9:18, 19, 25)
Miriam (Num. 12:13)
Aaron (Deut. 9:20)
Samuel(1 Sam. 7:5-12),
Solomon (1 Kings 8; 2 Chron.. 6)
Elijah (1 Kings 17: 20-23)
Elisha (2 Kings 4:33-36) Healed the Shunammite woman's son.
Isaiah (2 Kings 19) For Hezekiah, that the Assyrians would not destroy him.
Jeremiah (Jer. 42:2-10) Prayed for the Judah, for God's will about them migrating to Egypt to escape the Babylonians.
Peter (Acts 9:40) Prayed and God raised Tabitha from the dead.
Church (Acts 12:5-12) For Peter who was in prison.
Paul (Acts 28:8). Healing of Paulius.

The Posture of Prayer.
1. No rules are anywhere in Scripture laid down for the manner of prayer or posture of prayer.

2. There is mention made of kneeling in prayer (1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chron.. 6:13; Ps. 95:6; Isa. 45:23; Luke 22:41; Acts 7: 60; 9:40; Eph. 3:14, etc.)

3. Bowing and falling prostrate (Gen. 24:26, 52; Ex. 4: 31; 12:27; Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:35, etc.)

4. Spreading out the hands (1 Kings 8:22, 38, 54; Ps. 28:2; 63:4; 88:9; 1 Tim. 2:8, etc.)

5. Standing (1 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kings 8:14, 55; 2 Chron.. 20:9; Mark 11:25; Luke 18:11, 13).

The form of our prayer: 1. If we except what many call the "Lord's Prayer" (Matt. 6:9-13), which is, however, rather a model or pattern of prayer than a set prayer to be offered up, we have no special form of prayer for general use given us in Scripture.

2. Prayer is frequently enjoined in Scripture (Ex. 22:23, 27; 1 Kings 3:5; 2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 37:4; Isa. 55:6; Joel 2:32; Ezek. 36:37, etc.), and we have very many testimonies that it has been answered (Ps. 3:4; 4:1; 6:8; 18:6; 28:6; 30:2; 34: 4; 118:5; James 5:16-18, etc.).

a. "Abraham's servant prayed to God, and God directed him to the person who should be wife to his master's son and heir (Gen. 24:10-20).
b. "Jacob prayed to God, and God inclined the heart of his irritated brother, so that they met in peace and friendship (Gen. 32: 24-30; 33:1-4).
c. "Samson prayed to God, and God showed him a well where he quenched his burning thirst, and so lived to judge Israel (Judges 15:18-20).
d. "David prayed, and God defeated the counsel of Ahithophel (2 Sam. 15:31; 16: 20-23; 17:14-23).
e. "Daniel prayed, and God enabled him both to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream and to give the interpretation of it (Dan. 2: 16-23).
f. "Nehemiah prayed, and God inclined the heart of the King to him to return and rebuild Jerusalem." (Neh. 1)