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Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7, ESV).
The most important discipline that we can develop for emotional health and answered prayer is thanksgiving.
Look closely at Philippians 4:6 and note that we should pray for “everything” with “thanksgiving” — being grateful is the foundation of prayer. Let’s consider what Philippians 4:6-7 teaches about thanksgiving.
Burrowing into the Greek, the word most often used for “thanksgiving” in the New Testament is “eucharistia,” which is the word “eucharist” in English that many Christians use to describe the Lord’s Supper.
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are the greatest events in history for thankfulness! No matter our current situation, because of Jesus, we can be grateful.
In Philippians 4:6, the Greek word for “prayer” is “proseuche,” which could be translated “asking someone that you know.” It’s a relational word, as asking your father is different from making a request of a government official or someone you don’t know.
Also, in Philippians 4:6, the Greek word for “supplication” is “deesis,” indicating a “felt need that is personal and urgent.” This type of praying is the opposite of making a demand; someone who prays for an urgent need with gratitude prays differently than those who issue ultimatums from an embittered soul.
Finally, in Philippians 4:6, the Greek word for “request” is “aitema.” Personally, I love this word as it’s the most often used word in the New Testament to describe prayer. When Jesus said, “If you ask anything in my name, I will do it,” the Greek word is “aitema.”
Let’s not forget that “ask” is the most frequent word used in the New Testament for prayer other than the word “prayer.”
Considering the Greek words in Philippians 4:6, the Apostle Paul then describes resultant peace in Philippians 4:7. How many of us need peace? How many have doubts? How many have depression? How many have discouragements? Learning to pray with thanksgiving eliminates our worries and frustrations.
Gratitude does three things …
- Takes our focus off ourselves
- Allows us to see the bigger picture of God’s goodness
- Increases our faith that God hears and answers our prayers
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 ESV
The Greek word for “peace” is “eirene,” meaning “tying together into a whole.” When our lives are fulfilled, whole, and free of anxiety, we have “eirene” or “peace.”
The Greek word for “guard” is “phroureo,” which literally means “a guard at his post” or a peace/guard that watches over lives, warning us of events, people, or things that will steal our peace. We activate this protection through thanksgiving.
Eucharistia (thanksgiving), proseuche (prayer), deesis (supplication), aitema (request), eirene (peace), and phroureo (guard) — amazing!
Amen. Happy Thanksgiving!