Rejoice. Pray. Give Thanks.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. Am I always rejoicing, no matter what circumstance in which I find myself? Do I pray throughout my day without stopping? Do I give thanks to the Lord in everything and not just in select areas of my life? These three questions have frequented my thoughts and meditations. I have come up short again and again. I don’t think I was rejoicing when I was missing my family and friends back at home. I know that I have not been faithful to pray continuously throughout my day. Without a doubt, I can tell you that I didn’t give thanks when I filled up my gas tank yesterday. Thankfully the Lord’s grace is abounding and in His strength He is teaching me to rejoice, pray and give thanks.

REJOICE: Rejoice means to be glad, to thrive, to be well. What makes me glad? Without a shadow of a doubt, I can say it is what Jesus Christ has done for me. He loved this sinful, imperfect human so much that He died on the cross and rose again to bring me life, not just an abundant life here on earth but, more importantly, eternity in heaven with Him. The Lord’s grace and mercy are limitless; He has forgiven my sins and has washed me white as snow. When I stop and ponder those truths, I can’t help but rejoice, no matter what is going on in my life. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

PRAY: We are given an amazing gift of communicating directly with our sovereign, all-knowing God. I will admit that prayer doesn’t come naturally for me. I have to work at it, especially to ward off distractions. When I stop and think of with who I am talking, my heart, mind and thoughts regain focus on Him. The more I pray, the more focused I become. That is only possible through His power. Prayer is our opportunity to commune with the Lord, to lift up others, to present our requests, and to listen to the Lord’s voice. We should be living in a way that enables us to be in constant communication with our heavenly Father.

GIVE THANKS. I looked up the Greek word for “everything” just to make sure there weren’t any exceptions. “Everything” literally means all, the whole, each. There are no exceptions. Rejoicing and praying are not dependent upon our circumstances. Giving thanks is dependent on our circumstances, but the Lord says that we are to do give thanks in everything. Am I living a lifestyle of thankfulness to the Lord for who He is, all He has given me, and how He is leading and directing my life? The Lord has a perfect plan for our lives. As we believe that truth, we will give thanks for everything in our lives.

Lord, make us people who rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in everything, for this is your will for our lives.