PHENOMENOLOGY OF PRAYER #2

“We can distinguish praise from thanksgiving as follows: to give thanks is to praise God for the good things I have received from God, while to praise is to thank God for who He is” (p. 14). Often it is easy in life to simply thank the people around you for the service they provide you. Especially in the life of being a busy college student. The exchange of favors works similar to the exchange or prayer with God. When a roommate forgets their textbook in the dorm room and you go out of your way to get it and bring it too them they will exchange thanks for the physical service. This is just like taking your prayer and sticking it in the request box and being thankful only when the prayer is fulfilled in your eyes. What is not done is praising. What is often lost is telling the ones who mean the most to you how much you love them and value their companion ship, what is not done is praising God for being a part of the world around you, and most of all simply being a part of your life for no reason. Therefore, the act of prayer is more then just thanks for the outcome, it becomes necessary that praise exists holistically as part of the ritual of prayer.