Recently, my pastor taught about fervency, and I was compelled to do more research on that word and how we are to apply it to our lives. He said there is an emphasis in Scripture on fervency, perseverance, and continuing. Fervency is a noun that means a warmth or intensity of feeling. Its synonyms are ardor, zeal, or fervor. We the church are not to stop! We are not to give up!
there is an emphasis in Scripture on fervency, perseverance, and continuing. Fervency is a noun that means a warmth or intensity of feeling. Its synonyms are ardor, zeal, or fervor. We the church are not to stop! We are not to give up!
Romans chapter 12:11 tells us the early church was “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (NKJV). There should be enthusiasm about serving God in several categories.
Three categories in the Christian life in which I see the Lord desiring fervency from us include the following: prayer, praise and study. First, He commands us to be fervent in prayer. One of my favorite verses on prayer is found in James 5:16, which states “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (NKJV).” Here fervent means, determined and consistent.
In his commentary, The Blue Letter Bible, David Guzik states, “Much of our prayer is not effective simply because it is not fervent. It is offered with a lukewarm attitude that virtually asks God to care about something that we care little about. Effective prayer must be fervent, not because we must emotionally persuade a reluctant God, but because we must gain God’s heart by being fervent for the things He is fervent for.”
I stopped today and asked myself, am I praying with fervency? Am I praying with feeling, intensity, care, and zeal?” I’m sure you, like me, desire for our prayer to accomplish much, and for this to happen we must pray fervently. Lord, show us how.
Not only are we to be fervent in our prayer, but we are to be fervent in our praise. In Psalm 9:1 it says, “I will praise You, O God, with my whole heart, and I will tell of Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You (NKJV).” There was a fervency when David praised the Lord. When David praised, there was an intensity. His mind was engaged and his heart was moved when he praised the Lord. In 2 Samuel chapter 16, we read that David was even mocked for how he danced before the Lord in celebration. But David’s reply was, “I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes (2 Samuel 16: 21-22).”
Third, the Lord wants us to have fervency in the study of God’s word. 2 Timothy 2:14-16 states “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” How do you approach the word of God? There should be consistency and diligence applied when studying God’s word. For me, my Daily Bible with selections from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs help to keep me on track to consistently reading God’s word.
The Bible says of the Bereans in Acts 17 that, “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” There is a danger of idleness and stagnancy, and fervency in the study of God’s Word is needed. Finding fervency in studying the Bible is a constant battle, but we should approach it with fervency and with the expectation that as we read His word, God is going to speak to us!
In conclusion, I’d like to consider how the world is very enthusiastic and fervent about their sports, movie, and music stars. They show so much energy and intensity in cheering for these people because of their status or skills. How much more should we be showing fervency in our worship of our Lord, the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present Creator of the universe and the Redeemer of our souls? Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name” (NIV).
- Guzik, D. David Guzik’s Commentary on the Bible. Retrieved July 5th, 2024, from https://www.blueletterbible.org
Author Info
Annie Boyd
Annie Boyd is a co-founder and contributor at The Gingham Apron, an online place of encouragement and inspiration. She is the co-author of The Gathering Table: Growing Strong Relationships through Food, Faith, and Hospitality. Annie lives in southern California with her family, enjoying both the mountains and beaches.