Notes to the Lord:Rejoicing and Prayer

Thessalonians 5
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually,

Lord Jesus--Paul is still on the road when he writes this letter of encouragement...he may have been writing from Corinth just after his arrival. In the middle of the work of a new church plant Paul takes time to write, maybe as he is making his latest tent...who knows. It may be in soft lamp light late at night or early in the morning that Paul is writing to these people who are following Jesus and waiting for his return.

Rejoicing is what he writes about...there is so much to be grateful for and thankful for...so many evidences of God’s mercy and love. That is his advice to me? Find something to be thankful for, and in the middle of that remember it is only through your love that I am here.

Pray continually...what does that mean Lord? Does it mean that prayer and talking with you should be like breathing. A reflex that can’t be stopped as long as life last? Teach me to be a man of prayer.

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Lord Jesus--This is one of those verses where your direction is so clear and practical. You want me in the middle of the mix that surrounds me, to give you thanks. This was written to people who in the coming years would find themselves on the wrong end of Roman power. Give thanks in all circumstances, why?

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

The operating assumption is that You want to use everything that comes into my life to form me into your image...you are in the middle of that re-creative process right now in my heart. That does not imply it is all easy and a cake walk...just waiting to taste the sweets a hands length away.

It means that until I can give thanks for everything that is happening You can not use it to its full impact in my life. The beginning of the integration of all that comes my way is found in thanksgiving.

Lord Jesus--Help me to not waste anything that comes into my life, it can all be used to bring me closer to you even when I can't imagine how it can.

19 Do not quench the Spirit.

Lord Jesus--There are those times when gratefulness and thanksgiving are hard to find inside me...those are the times when I am in danger of dampening the fire of the Holy Spirit within me.

20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

In the middle of thankfulness and gratefulness for what you have done and are doing...it is within that context that the Holy Spirit can speak with power and clarity to my heart.

Everything needs to judged by your word. There is no private interaction with you that will contradict what has already been revealed.

Lord Jesus--Help me to start everyday from a posture of gratefulness and thankfulness.