Dr. Dan Hayden •
Did you know that there are nine different words in the Bible to express the idea of prayer? Today we’re going to look at one of those words.
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Now did you notice that there are two special words in this verse used for the idea of talking with God? Here’s what it says—we are to make known our requests to God by two means:
- by the means of prayer
- by the means of supplication
In other words, we don’t just ask God for stuff. Rather, we come to God in a special way when we make our requests.
The word for prayer here in the Greek text is the word prosuke. Prosuke has the idea of “a strong desire expressed toward God.”
Now here’s where we need to pay attention. The strong desire here is not the desire that God would grant our requests. Rather, it is a strong desire expressed toward God Himself. It carries the idea of “adoration, devotion, and worship.”
So here’s the point: when you come to God with your requests, you first of all think about God Himself – who it is you’re coming to. You adore Him, and revere Him, and worship Him. You make your requests in the context of worship. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer…”
And remember – prayer is first of all, the worship of God.
For further study, see The Prayer Puzzle