American Reformation Church Prayer Journal 39
ARC Prayer Meeting
J C Ryle stated, “A man may preach from false motives. A man may write books and make fine speeches, and seem diligent in good works, and yet be a Judas Iscariot. But a man seldom goes into his closet and pours out his soul in secret, unless he is earnest.” There is clearly a difference between a show of religiosity we can do before men and the reality of a true relationship with God.
What does it mean to be earnest? Being earnest demonstrates a sincere and intense conviction. It is characterized by or proceeding from a deep, serious state of mind. It is zealous in intention, purpose, or effort. The opposite would be frivolous. If you are earnest, you pursue your purpose in a steady, sincere, and eager way.
What is earnestness in prayer? Earnest prayer is a serious, intense, and eager form of prayer that is characterized by persistence and focus. It is a prayer that comes from the heart and is made with a genuine desire for God to hear and answer as He deems best.
For brevity sake, I’ll give two examples from Scripture that could be designated as earnest prayer. One is from the Old Testament and the other from the New. Surprisingly, the first time in Scripture that we see “earnest prayer” is actually from Jonah 3:8, “But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.”
In a moment of desperation, the people of Nineveh “call out mightily to God” (ESV). The word for mightily in the Septuagint is the word for “earnestly.” They didn’t just call out; they called out “earnestly.” They called out “mightily.”
Later, in Acts 12:5, Luke tells us that “Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.” There was somewhat a comical response to their prayers being answered. Though praying, it seemed highly unlikely those prayers would be answered. This may be too difficult for even God to answer. It was a “we believe Lord, but help our unbelief” kind of earnest prayers.
In both of these Scriptural instances, these people are in truly dire straits, completely helpless on their own, and are earnestly praying to the Almighty. They not only have this in common, but share a common result. The Lord performed something that was highly improbable. Assyria, the sworn enemy of Israel repented in sackcloth and ashes. Peter was released from prison after they martyred James. Both, were hope against hope situations, and yet the Lord came through miraculously.
The Scriptures assure us “With God all things are possible” and “All things are possible to them that believe” (Matthew 19:26; Mark 9:23)
