Table of Contents
Bible references
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. (James 5:16 KJV)
…. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (NKJV)
…. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much. (MKJV)
…. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (KJV 2000)
Meaning
First of all, let’s understand a few keywords in this biblical saying. We know that prayer is a form of communication with a higher power or deity. Prayer can take various forms such as supplication, thanksgiving, intercession, or worship. A righteous person is someone who lives according to moral principles and seeks to do what is right in the eyes of God. An effectual prayer is sincere, heartfelt, and backed by faith; such a prayer is not just words spoken without intention or belief. A prayer is fervent when it is genuinely passionate, intense, and zealous. Lastly, if something ‘availeth much’, it produces or results in a benefit or advantage.
In all, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” means that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous individual has great power and significance and produces the desired outcome. It can bring about meaningful results, blessings, healing, guidance, or intervention from above. This verse of Scripture encourages believers to pray with earnestness, faithfulness, and purity of heart, knowing that their prayers have the potential to bring about significant outcomes in accordance with divine will.
Examples of fervent prayers of the righteous
The fervent prayer of the righteous is not in vain. The righteous man is not like the prophets of Baal, who called upon Baal and prayed to him in vain, for Baal never heard them nor answered them (1 Kings 18:26-29). The God of the righteous is the only true God (Jeremiah 10:10). He hears the prayer of the righteous when they call upon Him (Proverbs 15:29; Psalm 34:15). Hence, our confidence is that whatever we earnestly ask in prayer, He hears us and does it (1 John 5:14-15). We can find quite a lot of examples in the Bible that confirm that the prayer of the righteous is powerful and produces results.
1. Peter’s prayer resurrected Tabitha
There was a good and generous Christian woman in Joppa called Tabitha. She became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to call him. And he came with them to Joppa without delay. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. There, all the widows came to him weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes that Dorcas made while she was alive.
Then Peter put all of them outside, knelt, and prayed fervently; and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and helped her up. Then, calling the believers, he presented her to them alive. Reference Acts 9:36-43. Indeed, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
2. Elijah’s prayer raises the Widow’s Son
Elijah the prophet was living with a certain widow and her son. Along the line, the son of the widow became ill. And his illness got worse, and he died. The woman said to Elijah, “What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son!” Elijah took the child from the woman’s arms and carried him up into the upper chamber where he lodged, and laid him on his own bed. And he prayed to the Lord, “O Lord my God, have you brought calamity even upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by killing her son?”
Then he stretched himself upon the child three times and cried to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child’s life come into him again.” And the Lord listened to the prayer of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he came back to life. Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” 1 Kings 17:17-24. Indeed, the prayer of the righteous man is powerful and effective.
3. David’s prayer against Absalom and Ahithophel
Ahithophel was one of David’s counselors. He was a Gilonite and lived in Giloh. At that time, Absalom had hatched a conspiracy against his father, David, and he sent for Ahithophel from Giloh and talked him into joining his conspiracy (2Sa 15:12). With the likes of Ahithophel on Absalom’s side, Absalom had become a powerful force to reckon with. The Bible testified that the advice of Ahithophel was like the advice you would get if you had enquired of the Lord (2Sa 16:23).
When David heard that Ahithophel, his counselor, had joined Absalom, he prayed to the Lord and said, “O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” (2Sa 15:31). David’s prayer worked. Though all along Absalom listened to Ahithophel, after David’s prayer, there was a critical moment when Ahithophel advised Absalom to pursue and attack David with twelve thousand soldiers (2Sa 17:1-4). Had Absalom done that, he would have successfully killed David and usurped the throne for himself for good. But he did not listen to Ahithophel (2Sa 17:5-14), and that marked the beginning of his fall. (2 Samuel 17). Indeed, the prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Conclusion
Apart from the stories shared above, many other Bible stories confirm that God responds to the fervent prayers of righteous people. Other examples are: James 5:17-18—Elijah prayed to stop rainfall in Israel for three and a half years; 2 Kings 20:1-6 —King Hezekiah, knowing he was dying, prayed for God to prolong his life; and Acts 12:5-11—the disciples prayed for an angel to come down and release Peter from prison. Finally, this saying from the Bible brings to the fore the idea that the character and the spirit of a person can play a part in the efficacy of his prayer.