1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. This passage speaks of attitudes and actions we must take.
Context: After describing how we look at our leaders as we live in the light of eternity and how we handle each other as we live in the light of eternity, now Paul tells us what we must do as individuals. In verse 16 Paul begins that we need to rejoice always. Not that we feel happy because we will have pain, hurts, and suffering. But we live with a hope in God and His will in our lives that gives us a deeper joy in the midst of pain and hurt. We have a focus on God being glorified in our lives rather than a focus of avoiding earthly difficulties. We keep our minds on the spiritual riches we possess and the eternal glory to come rather than the present pain or loss. How else can we get through trials and suffering except that we have joy in our spiritual riches and hope of eternal glory. This is what we rejoice in each day.
Second, 17 pray continually. Never give up praying. We need constant communication with God and it is something that we easily forget to do. Who do we talk to the most each day? God needs to be the one we talk to about everything we have going on in life. This command is a wonderful blessing. We do not pray only when we have a problem or need God’s help. God wants you to talk to Him all the time. Can you imagine having a parent that only wanted to talk to you and listen to you when you had a problem? It would be a shallow, terrible relationship. We have a relationship with God that we are given access and the right to speak to Him always. In fact, God is asking you to pray to Him always in all things. Talk to him about anything!
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Third, 18 give thanks in all circumstances. Everything we have is from God and He deserves our gratefulness. Job was thankful for what he had and continued to be thankful during all of his loss. We realize that everything is a blessing from God that is not deserved. We came into the world with nothing and we will leave the world with nothing. Job understood this and blessed God in all his loss because he understood this. An eternal perspective will cause us to give thanks always because we see that we have nothing apart from God. He has given us all that we enjoy. He gave you your job, your wealth, your home, your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, and all the other relationships we enjoy. Spurgeon said, “When joy and prayer are married, their firstborn child is gratitude.”
So why do we rejoice always, pray always, and give thanks always? Because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18b). These are the three things God has given us to always do because it is God’s will for us.