“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Apostle Paul experienced more than his share of trials and tribulations: imprisoned for his faith, shipwrecked on his missionary journey, and chronic pain from health issues. Yet he reminds himself and his readers to maintain an unceasing attitude of gratitude in prayer, which leads to joy. Then he punctuates verse 18 with an exclamation that this mindset is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.
Some aspects of the Lord’s plans may be unclear to us, but continual prayer, gratitude, and joy are clearly God’s desire for His children. Habakuk 3:18-19 (NIV) says, “…I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign Lord is my strength…;” this is the attitude to adopt.
Do you count your blessings or do you demand to be blessed? One of the enemy’s traps is to talk you into forgetting what the Lord has already done in your life and have you obsessed over what He ought to do in your life right now. Sometimes the Spirit needs to do deeper work in your heart before He opens an opportunity. If you have what you insist on today, you might not be able to handle the blessing in a Christ-honoring way.
So continue in grateful prayer to God. Be joyful in His strength, so His Spirit can tame your spirit with truth. Joy comes as you wait.
Gratitude is a humble attitude that asks how we can help others. Maybe we can take care of a friend’s child for a day, so they can enjoy some adult conversation with their community. Or because we have been blessed with mentors, we can bless others with encouragement and insight.
Gratitude to God leads us to serve others. In the process, we experience the joy of giving. Joy is not bought, but wrought out of our thankful prayers and humble service. Look no further for the Lord’s will. Our grateful prayers give us joy in Jesus so we can share it.
Read: Psalm 118:24; Romans 12:12-13
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 68:1-6; John 16:5-33; John 17:1-5; 1 Samuel 17:38-58; 1 Samuel 18