Effectual Prayer

Effectual prayer is the phrase used in the KJV rendering of James 5:16: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The Revised Version renders the same phrase as "the supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working," reflecting the Greek deēsis energoumenē — literally "a prayer being energized" or "prayer that works." The text points to prayer that is active and earnest rather than mechanical or rote, connected to the righteousness and faith of the one who prays.

James grounds the statement in the example of Elijah, who prayed that it would not rain and it did not rain for three and a half years, then prayed again and rain came (James 5:17–18; 1 Kings 17–18). The passage locates prayer's power not in the technique or eloquence of the pray-er but in the character (righteous) and earnestness (fervent) of the prayer and ultimately in the God who answers. The verse has been foundational for Protestant teaching on intercessory prayer and for pneumatic traditions that emphasize prayer as an active, Spirit-empowered exercise.