13-Week Study & Discussion Guide

Fervent

by Priscilla Shirer·93 discussion questions

Week 1 — FreeRead the Introduction of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Discussion question your group will work through:

1.Priscilla describes the moment she sensed God calling her to write this book as a direct response to real spiritual warfare in her own home and family. What was your initial reaction to her framing prayer as a *weapon* rather than a conversation? Did it feel foreign, exciting, or uncomfortable — and why?

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About This Study Guide

At a glance: this is a 13-week study and discussion guide for Fervent by Priscilla Shirer, with 93 questions organized by reading assignment. Week 1 is free to read, with no card required.

Fervent by Priscilla Shirer is a bold, strategic call to prayer — not the polite, routine kind, but the fierce, intentional, targeted kind that treats prayer as the primary weapon in a real spiritual war. Drawing on Ephesians 6 and the image of the full armor of God, Priscilla argues that the enemy of our souls has a specific, customized strategy against each of us — targeting our mind, our marriage, our identity, our past, our purpose, and our relationships — and that the only adequate response is an equally specific, customized prayer strategy. The book is organized around ten "strategies" the enemy uses against us, and for each one Priscilla offers a corresponding prayer strategy we can deploy. The thesis is simple but urgent: you are not just invited to pray — you are called to pray fervently, because the stakes are that high.

To get the most from this study guide, read the designated chapter (or section) before your group meets or before you sit down to journal. Priscilla builds in personal prayer pages at the end of each strategy chapter — don't skip them. Write in them. The questions in this guide are designed to follow the arc of each chapter, moving from understanding what the enemy is actually doing to owning a specific, personal prayer response. Whether you are using this guide alone or in a small group, expect to be stretched: Priscilla does not let the reader stay in the abstract. She pushes you toward the personal, the specific, and the actionable.

By the end of this guide you will have a clearer picture of what the enemy targets in your unique life, a richer and more intentional prayer life, and a set of personalized prayers you can return to again and again. More than information, this guide aims to help you leave each session with a prayer you could not have prayed before you started. That is the goal Priscilla sets for every reader, and it is the goal we carry into every week of this study.

Introduction — This Means War

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Read the Introduction of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18

Priscilla opens with a striking image: a woman on her knees is more dangerous to the enemy than a woman on her feet. As you begin this study, consider what it would mean to take that claim seriously in your own life.

1.Priscilla describes the moment she sensed God calling her to write this book as a direct response to real spiritual warfare in her own home and family. What was your initial reaction to her framing prayer as a *weapon* rather than a conversation? Did it feel foreign, exciting, or uncomfortable — and why?

2.She insists that the enemy is not a cartoon villain but a real, strategic, personal opponent who has studied *you* specifically. How seriously have you taken that idea in your own spiritual life up to this point?

3.The book's title comes from James 5:16 — "the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." What words in that verse stand out to you, and what do they imply about the kind of prayer Priscilla is calling you toward?

a.What is the difference between a fervent prayer and a routine one, in your own experience?

b.What would make your prayers more "effective" this week?

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13-Week Schedule

  1. Week 1Introduction — This Means War8 questions
  2. Week 2Strategy 1 — Your Passion and Purpose7 questions
  3. Week 3Strategy 2 — Your Family7 questions
  4. Week 4Strategy 3 — Your Past7 questions
  5. Week 5Strategy 4 — Your Fears7 questions
  6. Week 6Strategy 5 — Your Temptations7 questions
  7. Week 7Strategy 6 — Your Mind7 questions
  8. Week 8Strategy 7 — Your Relationships7 questions
  9. Week 9Strategy 8 — Your Identity7 questions
  10. Week 10Strategy 9 — Your Calling7 questions
  11. Week 11Strategy 10 — Your Hurts7 questions
  12. Week 12Building Your War Room7 questions
  13. Week 13Review & Reflection8 questions

Strategy 1 — Your Passion and Purpose

All 7 questions →

Read Strategy 1 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:10; Jeremiah 29:11

1.Priscilla argues that the enemy targets your sense of passion and purpose first — because if he can convince you that your life doesn't matter or that God has no plan for you, every other battle becomes easier for him. Does this ring true in your own experience? When have you felt most purposeless, and what effect did that have on your spiritual life?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 2 — Your Family

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Read Strategy 2 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Joshua 24:15; Psalm 127:1

1.Priscilla opens this strategy by describing the unique ferocity with which the enemy attacks families — because a healthy, God-honoring family is a powerful testimony and a launching pad for kingdom purposes. Does your family feel like a target right now? In what ways?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 3 — Your Past

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Read Strategy 3 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Isaiah 43:18-19; Romans 8:1

1.Priscilla identifies the past as one of the enemy's favorite battlegrounds — not because the past has power over us in Christ, but because the enemy convinces us that it does. What aspect of your past does the enemy most frequently use as a weapon against you?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 4 — Your Fears

All 7 questions →

Read Strategy 4 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 1:7; Psalm 34:4

1.Priscilla opens this strategy by naming fear as one of the enemy's primary tools — not because fear is always sinful, but because he exploits and magnifies it to keep us paralyzed. What fears are currently exerting the most control over your decisions and your peace?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 5 — Your Temptations

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Read Strategy 5 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:14-15

1.Priscilla argues that the time to pray against temptation is *before* it arrives — not in the middle of it. How does that proactive posture differ from how most of us actually respond to temptation?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 6 — Your Mind

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Read Strategy 6 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8

1.Priscilla describes the mind as the battleground where most of the enemy's strategy is actually executed — through lies, distortions, accusations, and obsessive thought patterns. Does that match your experience? What does the enemy's most persistent mental attack against you look like?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 7 — Your Relationships

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Read Strategy 7 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: John 13:34-35; Ephesians 4:3

1.Priscilla argues that the enemy specifically targets our closest relationships — marriages, friendships, church communities — because unity and love between believers is one of the most powerful testimonies to the watching world. Which of your relationships has been under the most noticeable spiritual attack recently?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 8 — Your Identity

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Read Strategy 8 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 1:3-14; 1 Peter 2:9

1.Priscilla describes identity as foundational — the platform from which every other battle is fought. What does your lived experience reveal about what you actually believe about your identity, as distinct from what you would say you believe about it theologically?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 9 — Your Calling

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Read Strategy 9 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Romans 8:28-30; 2 Timothy 1:9

1.Priscilla distinguishes between your general calling (to love God and love people, which all believers share) and your specific calling (the particular assignment God has for you in this season). How clearly can you articulate what your specific calling is right now?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Strategy 10 — Your Hurts

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Read Strategy 10 of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Psalm 147:3

1.Priscilla names hurt as one of the enemy's most powerful strategies — not primarily because pain itself defeats us, but because of what we do with pain: we harden, withdraw, become cynical, or stop trusting. Which of those responses is most characteristic of you when you are hurt?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Building Your War Room

All 7 questions →

Read the closing chapters and the War Room/Prayer Strategy sections of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. Key Scriptures: Luke 18:1-8; Colossians 4:2

1.Priscilla urges readers to designate a physical prayer space — a "war room" — where they can pray specifically and persistently. What is your reaction to that idea? Does it feel motivating, impractical, or somewhere in between?

+ 6 more questions in the full guide

Review & Reflection

All 8 questions →

Review your notes, journaling, and personal prayer pages from all ten strategies of Fervent by Priscilla Shirer

1.Which of the ten strategies chapters was most personally convicting or most impactful for you — and why? What made it land differently from the others?

+ 7 more questions in the full guide
Book Club QuestionsMore by Priscilla ShirerPrayer & Spiritual WarfareSpiritual Growth & DisciplinesFor Women's MinistryFor Small GroupsFor Individual StudyFree Question GeneratorMake a Reading Schedule

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About the Fervent guide

How many weeks is the Fervent study guide?

This study guide covers Fervent in 13 weeks, with week-by-week discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.

How many discussion questions are included?

The complete guide includes 93 discussion questions across 13 weeks — an average of 7 questions per week, designed for group conversation.

Can I use this guide for a book club?

Yes — the questions are written for group discussion and work well for small groups, book clubs, church studies, and couples reading together.

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