BEGIN WITH PRAYER, Conclusion
by Lemuel Niere
Its amazing that just this one passage of Scripture, Philippians 4:6, can teach us a lot when we dissect it from the original Greek text which the New Testament was written.
The Apostle Paul now gives us the fourth step out of worry and anxiety when he tells us, “...Let your requests be made known unto God.” The word “requests” is the Greek word aitima, from the word aiteo. The Greek word “ask” destroys any religious suggestion that you are a lowly worm who has no right to come into the Presence of God. You see, the Greek word aiteo means to be adamant in requesting and demanding assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, and so forth.
In fact, in the New Testament, the word aiteo is used to portray a person who insists or demands that a specific need be met after approaching and speaking to his superior with respect and honor. It expresses the idea that one possesses a full expectation to receive what was firmly requested.
There is no doubt that this word describes someone who prays authoritatively, in a sense demanding something from God. This person knows what he needs and is so filled with faith that he isn’t afraid to boldly come into God’s presence to ask and expect to receive what he has requested.
This means when you pray about a need that concerns you, it is right for you to pray authoritatively. As long as your prayer is based on the Word of God, you can have the assurance of God’s promise. Furthermore, when you pray, it is spiritually appropriate for you to fully expect God to honor His Word and do what you have requested.
Finally, Paul says “...let your requests be made known unto God.” The word “known” comes from gnoridzo, and it means to make a thing known; to declare something; to broadcast something; or to make something very evident. This plainly means that your asking can be extremely bold! Declare to God what you need; broadcast it so loudly that all heaven hears you when you pray. Such confidence is based solely on what God has promised in His Word.
