DO NOT CEASE GIVING THANKS FOR
YOU: ou pauomai (1SPAI) euchariston (PAPMSN) huper humon: (Romans
1:8,9;
1 Samuel 7:8;
12:23;
Philippians 1:3,4;
Colossians 1:3;
1 Thessalonians 5:17;
2 Thessalonians 1:3)
Paul modeled
praying without ceasing (see note
1Thess 5:17)...
Romans 1:8 (note)
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your
faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world.
1:9
For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His
Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you
Philippians 1:3 (note)
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,
1:4
always
offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,
Colossians 1:3 (note)
We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying
always for you,
1Thessalonians 1:2 (note)
We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of
you in our prayers;
Not (not)
(ou) conveys absolute negation of what follows.
Cease (3973) (pauo)
means to cease (middle
voice
= oneself) from an activity in which one is engaged. Pauo in the
active sense means to cause something or someone to cease from some
activity or state. To make stop. To stop, restrain, refrain, quit,
desist. To come to an end. The idea is to stop or restrain from an activity in which one is engaged.
Pauo is
preceded by the absolute negative (ou) indicating that Paul did
take a respite from his thanksgiving filled prayers for these beloved
saints at Ephesus. Stated in the positive, he
continually (present
tense) prayed for
the saints at Ephesus.
Spurgeon
comments that...
Where there was much good, the
apostle prayed for more. We all need still further to advance in divine
things. To stand still is impossible.
Robert Murray
McCheyne remarks that here we see...
the mark of a true shepherd. But a
hireling cares not for the sheep, he does not and cannot weep for the
sheep, he has no anguish of heart for them. Pray that we may so love
Christ that we may care for the sheep. (Ed: Lord raise up shepherds like
this in America. Amen)
Compare Paul's
pattern of praying to the pattern which he later exhorts these
prayed for saints to pray in the context of spiritual warfare...
With all prayer and petition pray (present
tense =
continually, as one's lifestyle) at all times in the Spirit, and with
this in view, be on the alert (present
tense) with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf,
that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make
known with boldness the mystery of the gospel for which I am an
ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I
ought to speak (See notes
Ephesians 6:18;
19;
20).
The IVP Bible
Background Commentary has an interesting note...
Like pious Jews, pious Christians
apparently had a time set aside for prayer each day. Many pious Jews
prayed several hours a day, and if Paul continued such a custom we can
understand how he could pray for all his churches.
Giving thanks
(2168)
(eucharisteo from eu = well + charízomai = to
grant, give) means to express appreciation for benefits or blessings. To
be grateful or feel thankful. Paul continually (present
tense) was grateful to God for what He had done in the life
of the saints at Ephesus and he thanked God for how they had responded. Thankfulness is a good attitude in
prayer.
Barnes
writes that although...
Paul was far distant from them, and
expected to see them no more. But he had faith in prayer, and he sought
that they might advance in knowledge and in grace.
For (5228) (huper)
means
in behalf of, for the sake of. In other words he was interceding on behalf of
others. Do we underestimate our holy privilege of functioning as priests
interceding with the Most High God on behalf of others! Lord raise up
intercessors who pray scriptural prayers like the apostle Paul!
Adam Clarke
comments that...
The apostle intimates, so fully
satisfied was he of the genuineness of their conversion, and of their
steadiness since their conversion, that it was to him a continual cause
of thanksgiving to God, who had brought them into that state of
salvation; and of prayer, that they might be preserved blameless to the
end.
Jon Courson
asks...
Who do you pray for? I have a
tendency to pray for those who are hurting, for those who are going
through tragedies and difficulties, for those who are backsliding and
failing—and that’s fine. But here Paul is saying something very
different when he says, “When I heard how well you’re doing, I was moved
to pray for you.” (Courson, J. Jon Courson's Application
Commentary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson)
Graham Scroggie
has a nice explanation of thanksgiving and intercession writing that...
Thanksgiving is for the
foundation already laid, but intercession is for the
superstructure going up.
Thanksgiving is for past
attainments, but intercession is for future advancements.
Thanksgiving is for the actual
in their experience, but intercession is for the possible in
God’s purpose for them.
WHILE MAKING MENTION OF YOU IN MY PRAYERS:
mneian poioumenos (PMPMSN) epi ton proseuchon mou:
(Genesis
40:14;
Isaiah 62:6;
1 Thessalonians 1:2)
Making (4160) (poieo)
make, do, expressing action continued (present
tense). In context of this verse
making
mention conveys the idea of mentioning someone in prayer, even naming
them one by one! Paul labored earnestly for others in his prayers.
Do I?
Mention (3417)
(mneia) is a recalling to mind memory, recollection, remembrance.
It is used in the NT predominantly of remembering others in prayer
and thus making mention of them. Clearly the apostle Paul did not regard
prayer as something vague and indefinite, but remembered his readers and
their needs specifically before the throne of God - a very convicting
pattern!
My (3450)
(ego in the genitive =
possessive) - These prayers were his own personal prayers on behalf
of the saints, praying for realization of the truths he has just taught
about their blessings by virtue of their position in Christ.
Prayers (4335)
(proseuche
from pros =
toward or immediately before + euchomai = to pray or vow) (Click
word study on
proseuche)
is the more general word for prayer
and is used only of prayer to God. The prefix "pros" would convey
the sense of being immediately before Him and hence the ideas of
adoration, devotion, and worship. The basic idea is to bring something,
and in prayer this pertains to bringing up prayer requests. In early
Greek culture an offering was brought with a prayer that it be accepted.
Later the idea was changed slightly, so that the thing brought to God
was a prayer. In later Greek, prayers appealed to God for His presence.
Proseuche stresses fervency and includes the idea of devotion to God for
Who He is.
Sometimes we forget that we should pray as earnestly for people after
they are saved, as we do for their salvation.
