"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
This does not give another condition besides faith, by which we are to receive blessings from God; but it shows a feature of faith, which many people do not understand. Thanksgiving is just as much a part of acceptable prayer, as is the request itself. Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he says. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." (Mark 11:23-24)
The promise is sure only to him who believes. Faith makes the promise a present reality, for: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)
He who believes that he really has that which he asks for, has it. This is not imagination, but fact. The promise of God holds out the reality; faith lays hold of it.
Now ordinary politeness demands that one shall return thanks for what he receives. Therefore thanksgiving must necessarily attend a prayer of faith, for such a prayer brings the things that it asks for. He who has not enough faith to thank the Lord for the thing asked for, even while asking for it, has not enough faith to claim the thing that he asked for.
Unthankfulness leads to heathenism. The heathen became such, "Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, and neither were thankful." (Romans 1:21)
He who is not thankful is not a worshiper of God; for, "He that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after Him." (Hebrews 11:6)
He who does not believe that God is a rewarder of them that seek Him, does not believe that He is, therefore he who does not thank God for what he asks from Him, does not really ask anything from Him. He does not worship God.
So as soon as men cease to thank God, they begin to lapse into a heathenism. Let us then remember the exhortation, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)--Present Truth, December 21, 1893.