Basic Vocabulary

A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.  Jeremiah 3:21

Supplications – This English word is a bit strange these days.  We don’t hear “supplications” very much in ordinary conversation.  Perhaps that’s why some Bibles translate this as “pleadings.”  The NIV uses the singular “pleading” but the noun is plural in the Hebrew text.  This is the sound of many people, crying out with a single voice, each one bringing a fervent request before God.  While the NIV helps, it still doesn’t provide us with a readily understood, basic vocabulary of prayer.  When was the last time you heard anyone say, “I have been pleading before the Lord?”  No, we are more likely to think of words like asking, making requests, or seeking favor.  All of these nuances are found in the Hebrew tachanun.  But there is also a bit more.  For that little extra, we need to do some digging.

Tachanun comes from a Hebrew root chanan.  You might recognize the name Hannah from this root word.  Chanan is the basic word for “favor” and is used many times in the expression, “found favor in the eyes of.”  This word is almost always translated into Greek as charis – grace.  To find favor in the eyes of the Lord is to experience His grace.  A petitioner can find favor in the eyes of another human being, but God is the only one Who can actually give favor, according to the Bible.  This word is always used of relationships.  You can’t find favor with the stock market or the planets.  Grace is always personal. 

Two more elements are needed.  First, chanan is not passive.  It is the active, deliberate, voluntary choice of the stronger person to help the weaker person.  Secondly, favor is incompatible with judgment.  God cannot grant favor and at the same time pour out His wrath.

Now, how does all this help us understand a basic vocabulary word for prayer?  This word teaches us that anxious, fervent requests made to God are quite literally attempts to see Him smile.  If we could see His face in prayer, we would be looking for a sign of delight.  We would want to catch the hint of acceptance.  And the best part is this:  God loves to smile and He smiles most often when He gives.

Cast away the mental imagery of a stern-faced cosmic judge.  Substitute instead the radiant countenance of a loving mother, tenderly listening to the cries of her helpless child (Isaiah 66:13).  Is there a bond deeper than that?  Bring your pleadings to God.  She’s listening.