Prayer vs Supplication
The Bible mentions both prayer and supplication, indicating a difference between the two terms. One of the primary differences is that supplication is a kind of prayer qualified as a request as well. In supplication, you make a request or ask for something, while a prayer can involve praises showered on God or a request for help. There are other aspects regarding prayer and supplication that will be discussed in this article.
What is a Prayer?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, a prayer means ‘a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity.’ A prayer can be a request or praise for the Lord or any other deity, characterized by the usage of epithets of God. Prayer consists of extolling the qualities and the power of the Almighty. During a prayer, you tend to thank the Almighty for all the favor bestowed upon you and for all the love shown towards you. Another important difference between a prayer and a supplication is that a prayer is focused on the personal forms of God.
Prayer can also be used in the sense of an earnest hope or wish. For example,
It is our prayer that current acts taken to protect gender equality will be strengthened in the future.
In this context, using the word prayer does not mean that the speaker is speaking to the God or any other deity. It is used in the sense earnest wish. Therefore, the sentence would mean ‘It is our earnest wish that current acts taken to protect gender equality will be strengthened in the future.’
What is a Supplication?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, a supplication means ‘the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.’ As you can see, a supplication is a mere request for something. Unlike a prayer, supplication is not characterized by the usage of epithets of God. Supplication is a mere humble request placed before the God. While prayer extolls the qualities and the power of the Almighty, supplication does not consist of extolling the innate qualities and the power of the God. On the other hand, you would not thank the Almighty for the love bestowed upon you, but instead ask for something that is beneficial to you or your life.
It is interesting to note that supplication is made not only for the benefit of oneself but also for the well-being and the benefit of mankind in general. Hence, you would find passages in a supplication that contain statements requesting the general welfare of the entire mankind. Supplication need not be focused on the personal forms of God. It can be in the form of a request made to the Almighty without form too.
Key Takeaways
- In supplication, you make a request or ask for something, while a prayer can involve praises showered on the God or a request for help.
- A prayer is characterized by the usage of epithets of God and is focused on the personal forms of God, whereas supplication is not characterized by the usage of epithets of God and need not be focused on the personal forms of God.
- Supplication is made not only for the benefit of oneself but also for the well-being and the benefit of mankind in general.
