Key areas that indicates fervency
1) The place of prayers: This area of your life should tell if you are fervent. Colossians 4:12 “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
Epaphras became an example to believers. The areas where the holy ghost had permitted to be captured in his life and to be documented for us are the areas of prayer and the scripture says he was always doing it. One of the ways to know if a believer is fervent, is to check out his or her prayer life. The prayer life is one of the indicators. The question now will be how fervent are you in your prayer life?
Our prayer life is considered as one of the major areas of our life that determines the state of our spiritual health. Epaphras is a model for consistency in prayers.
James 5:17 talks about the pattern of a prayer man.
We need to be well positioned in the place of prayer to be able to download the heart and will of the father. We need to be consistent in the place of prayer. There is a pattern in God that men must learn how to stay with God in the place of prayer. If your life will be buoyant and vibrant in any area of life, you need to learn how to stay with God and capture the heart of the father in whatever you find yourself doing.
As a believer, when we see your prayer life, we can speak to the health of your life spiritually. The way you pray in public should not be the only way to determine how fervent you are in the place of prayers. How you pray in private should be more intensive than how you pray in public when no one is seeing you. We need to learn how to pray fervently, it’s a culture and our life depends on it.
2) Fervent Charity: One other way to know that you are fervent is your ability to forgive and let go among brethren.
1 Peter 4:8 “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
When the eagerness and speed becomes very obvious, we know God is doing something in your life. There can’t be constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit does not reveal an area of your life where you need to change. It is in place of offence that the spiritual state of one’s life can be determined. We need to express the fervency of love. Drop every grudge against anybody.
3) The Preaching of the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:16 , For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel.
In the above scripture, it got to a point where Paul was so overwhelmed. He brought himself under strict demands to preach the gospel. We must come to a point of having a sense of urgency and necessity attached to the preaching of the gospel. This is a clear indication of fervency.
Romans 1:14 This is one of the scriptures that the Holy Spirit used to capture me. I had an encounter with this scripture during my NYSC days when the preacher spoke on the topic “We are debtors.” I was almost called into missionary but one needs to understand the calling of God upon his life.
4) We are supposed to grow in grace.
The scripture did not leave us with that instruction. The scripture also gave us the pattern. The word “and” means “that is.” So growing in grace means growing in knowledge. Fervency comes in how we are desirous of growing in knowledge. If we see your passion for knowledge, we will conclude that you are burning with desire to learn. Paul says this in the last chapter of his letter. The grace of our Lord Jesus be multiplied to you.
2 Peter 1:1-2 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
Grace is multiplied through knowledge. The vehicle that takes us that makes us grow and walk in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is knowledge. Fervency comes into play when we see your attitude to learning and the sacrifices we can make to learn. Some people leave towns and countries to go and learn in another place. There must be a time when the teacher must sit down to learn to become a student. The value attached to knowledge must be important. The intensity makes things to be demonstrated.
5) The fifth indicator of fervency is our giving.
2 Corinthians 8:1-4 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
It is the reason why some believers have not been giving. They have been complaining about inadequate income and economic circumstances. It is very clear they gave during hard times. In spite of that they gave beyond their capabilities. This is why it is necessary to let us know that we can give beyond our capabilities. It is so clear that the apostles did not ask for it from them but they kept begging the apostle that they needed to receive their gifts. This shows an urgency and sense of necessity towards the things of the kingdom which is seen in the life of someone that is fervent.
In verse 5, they first gave themselves before they gave.
2 Corinthians 8:5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God (KJV).
This is why most believers are always offended and they give grudgingly when it is time for them to give. We must learn to lay down our lives and must be willing to make it an offering to the Lord. The Macedonian church is always eager to give to the Lord. Another reason why the Pastor must not be found begging for money in the ministry out of anxiety.
In the same vein we must never be found judging them and conclusively perceiving them to have been living a flamboyant lifestyle. Some of them go to bed hungry with their family. Yet, they stand to preach from their hearts, the true word of God. A believer on the other hand as a result of incomplete revelation he or she had now begins to talk down on their messages and beliefs.
This brings irresponsible believers out of us. We must keep responding as God is searching out hearts on how much has gone to our local church through us with the inflow that has come our way. The incomplete and exciting revelation we have received has made us become irresponsible children to the needs of our local church and to the family we claim we belong to. If the way we behave concerning giving is the same way others behave in our local church, do we think the church will meet its needs? We should not wait on others before they give
Truthfully, God blesses a cheerful giver. It is better to give than to receive. The Bible says “… He gives bread to the sower…”
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;
We must come to a place of responsibility , that place of duty where no one cajoules you. You should be on the lookout for opportunities to partner with the ministry. The Macedonians were willing, actually begging to give. This is a pattern. We shouldn’t be asking for your hand if your heart is not with the Lord. You shouldn’t be cajoled to drop anything willingly if your heart has not laid it down first. You should not be giving offerings if you have not given yourself to the Lord. Your predicament is not a reason to not give. When things are uncomfortable shouldn’t be when you withdraw from giving.
It is a time when you give in value not volume. There is a season for your ability and beyond your ability. Where you give out of abundance and when you give out of honor. That you give, is a miracle. Consistency with giving is required, Your attitude towards giving for the advancement of the Kingdom is another KPI Key performance Index that shows your commitment to the work of God. It is the attitude that matters. Drop yourself before God first because there is nothing that will be too big to drop if you have dropped yourself. We should not be deceived; the testimony of those who are fervent is known to all. 2 Corinthians 8:3
The writer of the scripture said men could bear records of their zeal.
Ephesians 6:6-8
We should come to a place where it is just an audience of one, which is God alone. Doing it with your heart is known to God alone. Eye service people please men while heart service people please God. We do all as to the Lord not to men. Our master is a master that rewards those who diligently and fervently seek him. We should earnestly give ourselves to being fervent in all that we are learning. We must strive not to give room to the devil to take advantage of our down times.