"Pray and pray at all times by the Spirit, watch over this with all perseverance and pray for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).

Here is a specific recommendation : "Do all kinds of prayers". This implies that there are various kinds of prayers. Paul also writes : "Therefore I exhort, above all things, to make prayers, supplications, petitions, and thanksgiving for all men" (1 Timothy 2: 1). Here he mentions three forms of prayer: supplications, petitions, thanksgiving.

Jesus, when he gives us "Our Father" as a model of prayer, he teaches us that the first form of prayer we must do is praise to God.

God is great, he is powerful, he is good, he is wise, he is Savior, he is our Father ... Praise is the gateway : "Enter into his gates with praises in his courts with Praise him, bless his name ! " (Psalm 100: 4).

Praise can be expressed in various ways, as this text says : "Be filled with the Spirit, but keep psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and celebrating All your heart the praises of the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18 / 20). Singing is one of the forms we can use to praise God.

In this same verse we are asked to give thanks : "Give thanks continually for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20). Thanksgiving is another form of prayer.

The thanksgiving consists in offering God a prayer for all that he has done for us. It is an expression of recognition. The Bible tells us about ten lepers that Jesus healed, but only one came back to give thanks for it ; It is specified that the latter was the only one to be saved (Luke 17.11 / 19).

Thanksgiving is thank God for His kindness to us, for His works for us.

We are asked to do it continually, and for all things : "Give thanks continually for all things to God the Father." There is not only gratitude but also the expression of faith in the acts of thanksgiving. We recognize that God is the dispenser of all blessings. With James we say : "All excellent grace and every perfect gift come down from above, from the Father of lights" (James 1:17).

Advice for this day :

Before asking anything of God, begin your moments of prayer with a time of praise and thanksgiving addressed to God. It is at the same time an attitude of recognition but also an attitude of faith.

Paul Calzada