The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16, KJV).

Prevailing prayer, or effectual prayer, is that prayer which attains the blessing that it seeks. It is that prayer which effectually moves God. I cannot detail in full all the things that go to make up prevailing prayer. But I will mention some things that are essential to it; some things which a person must do to prevail in prayer.

He must pray for a definite object. He need not expect to offer such prayer if he prays at random, without any distinct or definite object. Many people go away into their rooms alone “to pray,” simply because they must say their prayers. They fall down on their knees and pray for just what comes into their minds—for everything that floats in the imagination. They can hardly tell a word of what they have been praying for. This is not effectual prayer.

Prayer, to be effectual, must be in accordance with the revealed will of God. There are three ways in which God’s will is revealed to men for their guidance in prayer.

• By express promises or predictions in the Bible, that He will give or do certain things.
• By His Providence. It would be impossible to reveal everything in the Bible. But God often makes it clear to those who have spiritual discernment that it is His will to grant such and such blessings.
• By His Spirit. When God’s people are at a loss what to pray for, agreeable to His will, His Spirit often instructs them. Where there is no particular revelation, and Providence leaves it dark, and we know not what to pray for as we ought, we are expressly told that “the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26, KJV).

Effectual prayer for an object implies a desire for that object commensurate with its importance. If a person truly desires any blessing, his desires will bear some proportion to the greatness of the blessing. If you find yourself exercised with benevolent desires, there is a strong presumption that the Spirit of God is exciting these very desires, and stirring you up to pray for that object.

Prevailing prayer is offered when Christians have been wrought up to such a pitch of importunity and such a holy boldness [that] afterwards when they look back upon it, they were frightened and amazed at themselves, to think they should have dared to exercise such importunity with God. Yet these prayers have prevailed, and obtained the blessing.

It must be persevering prayer. Prayer is not effectual unless it is offered up with an agony of desire. The Apostle Paul speaks of it as a travail of the soul. Jesus Christ, when He was praying in the garden, was in such agony that “his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, kjv). I have known persons to pray till they were all wet with perspiration, in the coldest weather in winter. I have known persons to pray for hours, till their strength was all exhausted with the agony of their minds. Such prayers prevailed with God.

If you intend prayer to be effectual, you must offer it in the name of Christ. You cannot come to God in your own name. You cannot plead your own merits. But when you pray in the name of Christ, you can receive just as much as God’s well beloved Son would if He were to pray Himself for the same things.

You cannot prevail in prayer without renouncing all your sins. You must not only recall them to mind, and repent of them, but you must in the purpose of your heart renounce them all forever.

You must pray in faith. You need not look for an answer to prayer, if you pray without any expectation of obtaining it. If the will of God is indicated by His Providence, you ought to depend on it, so far as to expect the blessing if you pray for it. And if you are led by His Spirit to pray for certain things, you have as much reason to expect those things to be done as if God had revealed it in His Word.

A great deal of prayer is lost, and many people never prevail in prayer, because, when they have desires for particular blessings, they do not follow them up. They may have desires, benevolent and pure, which are excited by the Spirit of God; and when they have them, they should persevere in prayer, for if they turn off their attention, they will quench the Spirit.

Will you offer prevailing prayer that the Spirit of God may come down?

CHARLES G. FINNEY (1792-1875), an evangelist often referred to as “The Father of Modern Revivalism,” played a key role in the Second Great Awakening. He was involved with the abolitionist movement and frequently denounced slavery from the pulpit. He also allowed women to pray in public.