First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
1 Timothy 2:1-6.
Thanksgiving reminds us to be thankful. Christians, above all other tribes, ought to have reason to be thankful. Paul was admonishing Timothy about the nature of Christ’s church and the practices that ought to be in a local Body of believers. Notice how he groups four activities together: supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving.
- Supplications – the act of pleading or even begging that which is asked with urgency based on presumed need.
- Prayers – a general term simply indicating talking with God and interacting with Him.
- Intercessions – the idea of a formal request to an authority on behalf of someone else. Much like a formal appeal.
- Thanksgivings – the idea of expressing gratitude for benefits or blessings. The quality of being grateful with the appropriate attitude.
Why the strong emphasis on prayer? We need to express our gratitude to someone, and directing our prayers, intercession, and supplication to someone who can influence the state of people’s lives would seem appropriate. All these forms of communicating with our heavenly Father reflect a strong focus on the one who influences the people and circumstances we face in life.
Why the strong emphasis on prayer with thanksgiving? In the Old Testament, dropped into various places in the Psalter (book of Psalms) are what we can call imprecatory Psalms (Ps. 5, 17, 28, 35, 40, 55, 59, 70, 71, and so on). These Psalms contain curses or judgments upon enemies of Israel. The Psalmist asks God to judge, discipline, and discourage these other nations. There are many other kinds of Psalms, but some of my favorites are the Acknowledgment Psalms. They start with praise, are saturated with praise, and often conclude with praise. They are filled with thanksgiving for who God was and what He had done. These were Psalms of celebration and worship of God who acts on behalf of delivered His people.
Psalm 66 is one of my favorites. I encourage you to read through it (there are only 20 verses). The Psalmist is abundant in his praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving to the Lord. He frames the Psalm around two key verses:
Psalm 66:5—Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. The first captures God’s great works toward His people. His sovereign deliverance was always a point of thanksgiving and worship.
Psalm 66:16 – Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. This segment is very personal. God has not only worked in Israel, but the Psalmist now boasts of what the Lord has done for him personally.
This should be true of God’s people today. God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son. We as a people ought to be thankful. But every one of us ought to have a testimony of the benefits of His love and grace towards us. We can be thankful for what He has done for all of His people, and we can personally praise Him for all He has done for each of us.
Pastor Brad Little
Happy Thanksgiving.
