“The effectual (wonder-working) fervent (passionate) prayer of a righteous man (any person) availeth much,” is the promise and declaration of James 5:16. As we continue to focus on the prominence and importance of the little word “three” in the Bible, we turn our attention to its use so many times on the subject of prayer and in many of the most passionate prayers recorded in God’s Word.

Jesus taught on prayer many times. In His preaching or discourse referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount,” He utilized an acrostics of the three-letter word “ask” to admonish us to be persistent in prayer, “(A) Ask, and it shall be given you, (S) seek, and ye shall find, (K) knock, and it shall be opened unto you,” (Matthew 7:7).”

David made a commitment to consistent prayer in Psalm 55:17, “(1) Evening, and (2) morning, and (3) at noon will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice. The Psalmist in 119:164 said, “Seven times a day do I praise Thee,” and David, no doubt, carried this attitude of prayer throughout the day. However, it is obvious he was committed to three specific times a day for concentrated communication with his God.

Many of us as children heard the story of “Daniel in the Lions’ Den” when King Darius was tricked into signing a decree that no one should pray or “ask any petition of any God or man for thirty days” but himself. Anyone not obeying that law would be thrown into a pit of starving lions. Someone has made the observation that Daniel did not pray any more - neither did he pray any less. His response is recorded in Daniel 6:10, “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel did not have to change one thing about his practice of prayer. He left his windows open as always toward Jerusalem, unafraid that someone would hear him praying to his God which is exactly what happened. He was “prayed up” for he prayed in the same manner as he had in the past, and the Bible indicates no sign of despair on his part. Of course, he was thrown into the den of lions, but his God delivered him from all harm.

When we come to the New Testament we find Paul that great preacher and servant of God in II Corinthians 12:7-9 suffering from what he described as “a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice (three times) that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’” With passion and consistency, Paul prayed three times for God to remove the thing that troubled him. When God’s answer was, “No,” Paul found that God’s grace truly was sufficient for Him.

Finally, we come to the Garden of Gethsemane and find the Savior of mankind about to give his life for us. Matthew 26:37 tells us that He “began to be sorrowful and very heavy.” In Verses 38-39, He said to Peter, James and John, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed saying, ‘O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’” He prayed the same prayer three times and committed Himself to be crucified. For the joy of saving sinners, He endured the cross. O, what a Savior!

These prayer warriors challenge our souls in this matter of praying. May our heart-cry be, “Let me follow in the footsteps that trod the shores of Galilee. Let me learn to pray as He did in the Garden of Gethsemane. Take my hand; take my hand; teach me, Lord, to understand all my duty, all the beauty of Your love,” (from the song, “Walk with Me,” by Al Langdon and P. J. Zondervan).

--- Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.