[Devote yourselves to prayer,] being watchful and thankful.
Summary: With two simple words Paul ties the topic of prayer to two of the most powerful scenes in the life of Jesus.
When we devote ourselves to prayer, as Paul says, to “pray without ceasing,”* he tells us to be “watchful and thankful.”
The Greek word for “watchful” is “grēgoreúō,” meaning the same as the English word. Paul wants us to keep awake and be vigilant.
Matthew uses the same word, “grēgoreúō,” when he quotes Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus is about to be arrested and crucified, but before these things happen, he spends time in prayer. He takes Peter, James, and John with him and says, “Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).
Why is being watchful important? Jesus says, “… keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).
People who are not watchful are not paying attention. It sounds like a solid biblical principle that we should keep our eyes open and keep them on God.
Paul pairs this vigilance with another vital attitude. The second word Paul uses is “thankful.”
The Greek word he used is “eucharistía.” If this word sounds familiar, it should. It is the same word we get our English word “Eucharist” from. This word is taken from the story of the Last Supper, where it says:
“Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” (Matthew 26:27-28)
The word “thanks” in Matthew’s account is the same word Paul uses.
I mention all of this because, with two simple words, Paul has reminded us of two very important things: The Last Supper and Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. If you wanted a picture of how to pray, there is none more powerful than these two.
Pray with watchfulness because Jesus is watching, and we don’t know when he is going to come for us. Pray with thankfulness because of what Jesus did for us, sacrificing his flesh and blood for our eternal salvation.
With these two things in mind, prayer takes on a whole new meaning. Our attitude is one of attentive thankfulness.
Application: Be watchful and thankful (It is hard to improve on Paul’s words!)
Food for Thought: What happens to our prayer life if we are not watchful and thankful?
*1 Thessalonians 5:17, KJV
Image: By Carl Bloch – http://www.carlbloch.org/The-Last-Supper.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10115340
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