fervent prayers

we just recently discussed the *how to* of prayer. question is, and there is no right answer, but what is scriptural? i am taking the liberty of choosing the translation i grew up with:

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5:16 KJV

what, exactly, does that mean?

first, i am inclined to look up the word "fervent." i believe i know what it means, but to be sure:

fer·vent
( P ) Pronunciation
Key (fûrvnt) adj.
Having or showing great emotion or zeal;
ardent: fervent protests; a fervent admirer.

zeal in prayer? yeah, i got that.

then i thought, "what about righteous?"

i believe i have hit the motherload (especially so because they used my key verse in their description...)

righteous
adj 1: characterized by or
proceeding from accepted standards of morality or justice;
"the...prayer of a righteous man availeth much"- James 5:16 [ant: unrighteous] 2:
morally justified; "righteous indignation"

last, but not least: avail(eth) i will look it up without the olde english...

a·vail
( P ) Pronunciation
Key (-vl) v. a·vailed, a·vail·ing, a·vails v. tr.
To be of use or advantage to; help: Nothing could avail the dying patient.

what use is all of this to me?

when we chat with someone who feels they don't "pray right," what are we included to do? we encourage, exhort, defend their prayer life, telling them that God hears your prayers, regardless. but above, it says the fervent prayer...righteous man...avails much. what happens if all criteria isn't met?

what about the not-so-fervent prayers?

what if you aren't particularly righteous at the time of your seemingly fervent prayer?

what if you pray, to no avail? then are we to question whether we met all of the criteria above?

am admittedly going through a pretty decent series of personal crises as of late and while i know God is with me - His presence is felt during the quiet times, moments of reflection and recollection - however, when crying out to Him in the middle of something bigger than life to me, and panic sets in because i don't *feel* Him, what then?

what then?