Love how this verse gets right to the heart of our prayer life!
We all go through times in which our prayer life gets a bit stale. Maybe the words don't come or we don't know what to say. Maybe there are too many distractions and we just can't focus. There are also times in which our heart is so heavy and our prayers seem to go unanswered, that we stop praying for a while or maybe even altogether.
The wonderful thing about The Bible, is that it lays out for us when and how to pray. When words fall short or hearts are heavy we are still called to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, you and I both know it is much easier said than done. Which is why I ask:
How is your prayer life?
I ask because it is so important that we keep our prayer life alive and active. Why? Because it is the way we communicate with God. In order to get to know God, we have to spend time with Him.
If you've come to a place where you're not really sure how to pray or what to say, let's take a deeper look at the verse above and uncover what it really means.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always. When you hear the word rejoice, what comes to mind? That word just sounds happy. I'm smiling. When we rejoice, we show great delight and joy. A joy that goes far beyond feeling happy, bringing forth a sense of deep connection and gratification. Oftentimes leaving us breathless with awe and wonder. So our first step in prayer is to find that great delight in our Father. By starting a prayer remembering Who we are praying to makes all the difference in our prayer life. We aren't just talking to anyone, we are talking with The One!! Come to Him with love, respect and adoration. Give Him praise and thanks for what He has done for you. Let Him know you appreciate the blessings in your life. Delight in Him! And oh, He will delight in you!
Pray without ceasing. No, it doesn't mean 24/7, every day, all day. We can't really put our hands together and pray like that all day. But we can allow Jesus into our everyday life, all day, by letting Him walk with us. Think of Him as your best friend. The one you sit next to and share all your secrets with, the one you laugh and cry with and do life with. Jesus wants to be that friend to you. He wants to be the biggest part of your life. As we go about our day we talk to Him. We bring Him to the soccer games. We let Him in our conversations. We take Him to school and practice and other activities. We don't just invite Him in, but we let Him become an active part of our everyday lives, as we make choices that would honor Him.
Give thanks in all circumstances. Life is going to come with challenges, that is certain. This life can get messy. When that happens it's easy to get upset, confused or question God. Maybe even growing angry. Those are natural responses, however, when those times arise, that is when we need God most. We can't carry the burdens of this life alone, nor were we meant to. God will give us more than we can handle, but He will never leave or forsake us. He is always with us! For that, we should be thankful. God is also gracious to provide us with family, friends, and "sisters in Christ" that can love on us and offer us help in times of need. When we go to God with our heavy hearts, letting Him know we may not understand, but we trust His plan, it opens our heart to give thanks. Thank Him for the little things and it will grow from there. Because the truth is - He hears us. He sees us. He loves us.
So as you pray this week be sure to rejoice in him, sweet sister. Pray and give Him your heart throughout the day, letting Him be the biggest part of your life. And be thankful in all circumstances, even when it may prove difficult. He knows your heart and the pain. Hand it over to Him.
Heavenly Father, you are so good to us. We long to delight in you. We ask you open our hearts to see how you are moving in our lives. Thank you for loving us, leading us and protecting us. Amen.