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

To walk with Christ everyday, enjoying His presence, and seeing the evidences of His Spirit transforming our lives, should stir in us three continual responses to God. Paul gives us these three responses in three very short but powerful verses of scripture. Rejoice always (verse 16), pray without ceasing (verse 17), and give thanks in everything (verse 18). 

Rejoice Always!

As born again believers in Jesus Christ, we are to rejoice. The idea of “rejoicing” means to be cheerful, calmly happy, and well-off. It doesn’t means that we need to walk around with a grin on our face all of the time but it does mean, that internally, in our heart and soul, there is a peace, calmness, and joy that exceeds anything that this world can offer or provide us. This “joy” comes from the reality that, as people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, we celebrate our salvation. We celebrate that we are no longer people who walk in spiritual darkness rather we are people who walk in the Light of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6). We are no longer subject to the wrath of God that will come on the sons of disobedience (all of those outside of Christ, Ephesians 5:6). Consider Jesus’ words:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.”

      John 11:25-26a

Jesus’ words apply to all who have been saved, having been spiritually transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit within them. This is not ritualistic, formal, religious motion rather it is a transformation of our heart, soul, and mind, so that we now pursue the things of God rather than the things of the world. It is a complete change in our life’s trajectory. Once lost, spiritually dead, void of the Spirit of God, and without hope, we are now found, spiritually alive, full of the Spirit of God, and have an eternity with Christ as our home. This is why we rejoice and celebrate, something the lost world cannot do until they receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. And notice the continual part of this “rejoicing”…always! We are to rejoice always and why would’t we? We have a vibrant relationship with God, salvation of our souls through faith in Jesus, walk by the power of God’s Spirit within us, and have all of the heavenly resources at our disposal as we live our lives for Christ. This is the Christian experience and it is a superior, uncommon, and extraordinary life!

Pray Without Ceasing!

Praying is simply talking to God and, as born again believers in Jesus Christ, we have complete, constant, and confident access to the throne of God (Hebrews 4:14-16). We have no need for earthly clergy to act as our mediator for we have a heavenly, perfect, Mediator in Christ (1 Timothy 2:5). As Christians, we can talk to God anytime, anywhere, in any situation…and that’s exactly what “pray without ceasing” means. We don’t have to close our eyes or even be in a place of solitude (although those times are vital for our Christian walk) rather we are to be in a dialogue with God all of the time. We need His presence and power every moment of everyday in our lives. And, if you belong to Christ, you have His presence living within your heart! So the heavenly dialogue can proceed as we walk with Him! Consider Jesus’ words to His disciples:

In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

    John 16:23-24

God wants us to talk to Him, present our requests, and expect that He will answer (Mark 11:24). As followers of Jesus, we, too, are His disciples and all of the promises of scripture are ours to enjoy and they provide a foundation on which we can build our lives. Notice the connection between joy and prayer. “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.” As we pray without ceasing, asking in faith, seeing the response of God to our requests; this daily evidence of His presence and power in our lives brings joy to our lives along with the strength and power necessary for us to live lives that are worthy of our calling (Ephesians 6:10-11, Colossians 1:10). So we celebrate our redemption from this depraved and perverse world, walking with the Savior everyday, enjoying His presence and the power that lives on the inside of everyone who belongs to Christ, and rejoicing in the reality that we can talk to Him in an endless, unlimited conversation. Rejoicing always…praying without ceasing…two of the continual responses that should be the reality in the life of every Christian. But there is still one more!

Giving Thanks In Everything! 

A joyful heart, enjoying daily fellowship with God, will yield a heart of gratitude, allowing us to “give thanks in everything.” If the salvation of our eternal souls was all that we received from God, that would be entirely enough but that is not all that we have in Christ. Consider the words of Jesus:

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

    Matthew 7:11

Jesus is teaching on “asking, seeking, and knocking.” He is teaching us to ask, seek, and knock as, you guessed it, continual actions. And why does this cause us to give thanks? Take a look at the promise! If we, as earthly parents, know how to take care of our children, how much more does God have the ability and willingness to meet our every need. But this promise is only of those who belong to Christ, who ask, and who ask in faith (John 3:3, James 4:2a-3, Mark 11:23-24). Consider the words of David:

But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

Psalm 34:10b

As we read in the Psalms, nothing “good” will be withheld from those who seek the Lord. And in the words of Jesus, “how much more will God give what is good to those who ask!” Good reasons to be thankful. The Christian life isn’t one of uncertainty and confusion rather it is a life of certainty and clarity (Colossians 1:9, Romans 12:2). And along with the Psalms and the words of Jesus, we see Him again saying the following:

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

    Matthew 6:33

What are “all of these things?” The things we need in this life. And the benevolence of God is far reaching, exceeding even the basics of our needs but also lavishing on us all of the spiritual riches of His glory (Ephesians 3:20). This is another great reason to rejoice, to pray, and to give thanks.

But we don’t want to close out our look at this passage without internalizing that this “is God’s will for you (us) in Christ Jesus.” That’s right! God desires for us to live this kind of life. And as we walk with Him everyday, rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all things, we find the life that we have always wanted, a life in which the world has no comparable offering. 

So what will be your decision? To surrender your life to Christ or continue in the futility and uncertainty of living apart from Him? My prayer is that we are all enjoying a life of abundance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and increasing power from the presence of the Spirit of God within us!