Chapter 3, Footnote 2:
Effective Prayer:
Scripture tells us that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and that “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). To pray without ceasing really means to maintain an attitude of prayer all day long, not that you’ve necessarily got to be praying the whole time. But if you’ve got a relationship with the Lord that is close (not based on doing, but based on intimate love with your Creator), then you are in a position to hear the Lord when He calls you to pray. And when we’ve got something to pray about, it’s not enough to just toss up a prayer for a few seconds and then complain when the answer doesn’t come.
Prayer sometimes means work! It means pressing in to God’s Presence. Coming “boldly” before Him and remaining there in the throne room until He moves on our behalves or on the behalf of the individual that we are praying for. The parables of the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8) and the Friend at Night (Luke 11:5-8) show that it is persistence that pays off.