First Thessalonians chapter five tells us to ‘…rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you…’.
I like to look at those three clauses as one thought instead of three different points. Surely they can all stand on their own and a lot of translations make it a point to separate them as individual thoughts but I think they’re all mutually supporting truths that make a bigger, more complete point when viewed as a whole.
‘Rejoice always’ reminds me to rejoice in the Lord, not myself, not my circumstances and not in others; in all ways.
Ceaseless prayer requires more than discipline though. It requires a hope and confidence that the effort is not in vain. By the grace and love of God, many of my prayers have been answered. But, I have a haunting feeling that many others never came to realization because I just….stopped…praying… and believing. Confusion, weariness and discouragement are always at work on the edge of our life’s critical issues, vying to stop our prayers.
Some times, the idea of giving thanks in every circumstance is as if someone were speaking to me in a foreign tongue. I can’t quite grasp the meaning of it. I can see it written here but I can’t make out how to apply it.
It occurs to me - and I hope I don’t ever forget this- that the larger idea portrayed in this small passage is for me ( us ) to understand that focusing on the Lord; leaning into Him is actually what strengthens my hope, resolve and endurance to continue in prayer. Prayer, without a personal revelation of the Lord, is almost certainly doomed to be stopped short.
The grace to find God in every circumstance- to see where He’s perhaps hidden in the chaos, ever pointing the way forward though is a great and comforting reward.
So to remember that rejoicing in Him is what gives faith and strength to our prayers; to know we have been heard- even though things look the same- causes a genuine gratitude to so flow across our lips that everyone and everything around us is forced to bear witness to the open praises of God.