PRAYER PERFUMED WITH PRAISE – Charles Spurgeon
Prayer Perfumed with Praise
“In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Philippians 4:6
According to the text, we are to make our requests known to God both by prayer and supplication. If any distinction is intended here, I believe that by prayer is meant the general act of devotion and the mention of our usual needs. Supplication, on the other hand, is likely intended as our distinct entreaties and special petitions. We are to offer the general prayer common to all the saints, and we are to add the special, definite petitions that are peculiar to ourselves. We must worship in prayer because God is to be adored by all His saints, and then we must beseech His favors for ourselves, as the text instructs: “Let your requests be made known unto God.”
However, let us not forget the second form of worship. There is often a tendency to generalize in prayer, and God forbid that we should speak against it if it comes from a sincere heart. Yet, we need more specific, definite pleading with God—asking Him for particular blessings with a clear understanding of what we ask. You will often hear prayers at prayer meetings in which everything is asked in general, but nothing is specifically requested. Yet, the reality and heartiness of prayer are often best expressed by offering specific requests.
Consider Abraham, for instance. When he worshiped the Lord, he did not merely adore Him in general, but he specifically pleaded for the promised heir. At another time, he cried, “O that Ishmael might live before You,” and on another occasion, he interceded for Sodom. Elijah, atop Mount Carmel, did not ask for all of God’s blessings in general but specifically for rain—rain at that very moment. He knew what he was praying for, stayed focused, and prevailed.
Thus, my beloved friends, we have many distinct and pressing needs. We should offer as many clearly defined petitions to God as we have needs, and for these divine answers, we must watch with eager expectancy, so that when they come, we may magnify the Lord.
The point I wish to emphasize is this: Whether it is the general prayer or the specific supplication, we are to offer either or both “with thanksgiving.” We are to pray about everything, and in every prayer, we must blend our thanksgiving. Therefore, it follows that we should always be in a thankful condition of heart. Since we are to pray without ceasing, we must also pray without ceasing in thanksgiving!
It is clear that we should always be ready to give thanks to the Lord. As the Psalmist says, “Thus will I bless You while I live, I will lift up my hands in Your name.” The constant tone and spirit of our lives should be adoring gratitude, love, reverence, and thanksgiving to the Most High. This blending of thanksgiving with devotion is to be continually maintained. We must always offer prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, no matter the condition or depth of the prayer. Even if the prayer struggles upward out of the depths, its wings must be silvered with thanksgiving. Even if the prayer is offered on the verge of death, the last few words from trembling lips should still include gratitude as well as petition.
The law says, “With all your sacrifices, you shall offer salt,” and the Gospel says that with all our prayers, we shall offer praise. The wise proverb says, “One thing at a time,” but for once, I must contradict it and say that two things at a time—prayer and thanksgiving—are better. These two holy streams flow from one common source—the Spirit of Life that dwells within us—and they are utterances of the same holy fellowship with God. Therefore, it is right that they should mingle as they flow and find expression in the same holy exercise.
The Unity of Prayer and Praise
Supplication and thanksgiving run so naturally into each other that it would be difficult to keep them separate. Like kindred colors, they shade into one another. Our very language reflects this; the difference between the words “to pray” and “to praise” is small. A Psalm can be either prayer or praise—or both. Even the joyous Hebrew word “Hosanna” serves as both a prayer and praise. “Hosanna” means “Save, Lord,” and at the same time, it exalts the Son of David.
While we are here on earth, we should never attempt to make a distinction between prayer and praise so that we either praise without praying or pray without praising. With every prayer and supplication, we should blend thanksgiving and thus make known our requests to God. This blending of precious things is admirable. It reminds me of that verse in the Canticles, where the king is described as coming up from the wilderness in his chariot, “like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant.” There is the myrrh of prayer and the frankincense of praise.
The holy incense of the sanctuary filled the Holy Place with the smoke of prayer, but with it, there was also the sweet perfume of choice spices, like praise. Prayer and praise are like the two cherubim on the ark—they must never be separated. In the model of prayer given by our Savior, the opening part is praise rather than prayer: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” The closing part is praise: “For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”
David’s Example of Prayer and Praise
David, who is the great tutor and exemplar of the Church regarding worship, being both poet and preacher, takes care in almost every Psalm, even when the petition is agonizing, to mingle exquisite praise. Consider his Psalm after his great sin with Bathsheba. One might think that, overwhelmed by his sin, he could not or would fear to offer thanksgiving. Yet, before the Psalm that begins, “Have mercy upon me, O God,” can conclude, David says, “O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.”
David starts low, with many broken notes of complaint, but he rises, glows, and like the lark, sings as he ascends. At first, his harp may be muffled, but soon, he cannot help but play the strings of praise. There is a passage in Psalm 18:3, where David captures the very essence of this blending of prayer and praise: “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from my enemies.”
When he prays, he speaks of his God not just as an object of prayer, but as one “worthy to be praised.” In doing so, he shows us that the blending of thanksgiving with prayer makes it infallibly effective.
Thanksgiving in the New Testament
This habit of combining thanksgiving with prayer, seen in the Old Testament saints, is even more evident in New Testament believers, who, in clearer light, perceive even more reasons for thanksgiving. Take, for example, the Apostle Paul. In Romans 1:8-9, Paul says, “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” Notice how Paul blends thanksgiving with his supplications.
He does the same in other letters, such as Colossians 1:3, where he says, “We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.” In 1 Thessalonians 1:2, he writes, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers.” And in 2 Timothy 1:3, Paul says, “I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day.”
Paul’s prayers were never offered without thanksgiving, and we should learn from his example. God has joined these two together—prayer and thanksgiving—and it is essential that we do not separate them.
The Evil of the Absence of Thanksgiving in Prayer
Now, let us consider the evil of the absence of thanksgiving in our prayers. First and foremost, it would be an indication of ingratitude. Are we to always receive from God without ever returning thanks? Ingratitude is a grievous sin, especially considering all that God has done for us. If we have no thanks to bring, how can we expect further blessings?
Moreover, to pray without thanksgiving would be selfish. Prayer should not be a means to only seek benefits for ourselves, but a way to honor our Benefactor. Failing to offer praise to God while requesting benefits would show a lack of thought for God’s glory. Thanksgiving helps prevent prayer from becoming self-centered.
Additionally, thanksgiving in prayer nurtures faith. A prayer without thanksgiving may reflect an absence of faith. If we thank God before the mercy arrives, we are demonstrating our trust in His provision. When we give thanks beforehand, we are expressing belief that God will answer our prayers.
The Result of Thanksgiving in Prayer
Finally, let us consider the result of thanksgiving in prayer. The presence of thanksgiving, combined with prayer, produces peace. As Philippians 4:6-7 says, “The peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Prayer alone can often leave us more anxious, but prayer with thanksgiving brings peace. If we bless God for the very troubles we pray against, and for the mercies we need as though they have already come, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.
When we pray with thanksgiving, we are also warmed in our soul and encouraged to continue praying. This is evident when we praise God for past mercies; our hearts are encouraged to plead for more blessings. As we grow in thanksgiving, we will find our hearts softened and ready to pray with greater fervor.
Lastly, we must recognize that thanksgiving in prayer prepares us to receive the blessing. It is when we begin to thank God that we are ready to receive His mercy. As Jehoshaphat did in 2 Chronicles 20, victory came when the people began to praise God for His mercy.
Conclusion
Let us, therefore, always pray with thanksgiving. Remember, God has promised to answer our prayers, and thanksgiving should precede our requests, filling our hearts with faith and joy. May we praise God not only for what He has done but for what He will do, trusting that His promises will always be fulfilled.
Amen.