James 5:16 says: “The effecive, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many they are; not the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they may be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they may be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the divinity of our prayers, how good the doctrine may be;–which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much.
Bishop Joseph Hall
Quoted by D. L. Moody in Prevailing Prayer (Chicago: F. H. Revell, 1884), 81. I’ve also included this quote in my own book, My All in All. Click here for more details.
PS – The noted Christian scholar and preacher, Spiros Zodhiates, passed away this week. For his obituary, click here.