BEGIN WITH PRAYER: Part 3
by Lemuel Niere
After mentioning “supplication” Paul then gives us the third important step to take when giving our worries and concerns to God. Paul tells us to make our requests known to God “...by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving...”
God not only expects you to be bold; He also expects you to thank Him for being good to you! It simply isn’t right to ask boldly without expressing gratitude. If you’ve ever generously given to someone who never took the time to thank you for the sacrifice you made for him or her, you know how shocking ingratitude can be. In a similar way, you must be careful to thank God for being so good to you!
The word “thanksgiving” that Paul uses in this verse is the Greek word eucharistia, which is made up of two words: eu and charis. The word eu means good or well. It denotes a general good disposition or an overwhelmingly good feeling about something. The word charis is the Greek word for grace. When these two words are merged into one, they form the word eucharistia. This compound word describes an outpouring of grace and of wonderful feelings that freely flow from the heart in response to someone or something.
By using this word, Paul teaches us that when we earnestly ask God to do something special for us, we must match it with an earnest outpouring of thanks. Although the request has only just been made and the result isn’t evident yet, it is appropriate to thank God for doing what we have requested. Thanking Him in advance demonstrates faith.
So, always make sure to follow up your earnest asking with earnest thanksgiving! Make it a goal to be as passionate in your thanksgiving as you were when you made your request.
