“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 NASB
We should find three things that are present in our lives as we walk with The Lord: Joy, Prayer, and Thankfulness. As we grow in our spiritual life, we learn that we can always trust God. He is always there for us. Even when we don’t see it. He cares for us and watches over us. As our faith and trust grow, we experience an ease of worry and become content. Knowing that God hears our prayers and answers our prayers. God is in control. Often, we have an answered prayer, before we even ask.
God has allowed me to meet Christians from all over the world. I thank God for the experiences. I often learn that Christians with very few material positions are generally the happiest living in the joy and peace that only God can give. I also see that the Christians who are greatly blessed with material positions are often the saddest, plagued with worry and stress, robbing them of joy.
At the heart of the gospel is the love that God has shown us. Such a love that He gave His son for us. We can only conclude that it is God’s joy to be gracious to us. He wants what is best for each of us. Our joy comes from His grace.
Paul reminds us to live in a spirit of prayer, always ready to speak with our Heavenly Father. We should face everything in our lives with prayer. Reminding each other to pray, pray for others, and ask for prayer ourselves. When we go to The Father in prayer, we demonstrate our dependence on Him. The Bibles also teaches us to be persistent in our prayers. Paul, in his letters, prays for the readers often. The gospels tell us that Jesus spent much time in prayer. Prayer should be a priority in our daily lives.
We have much to be thankful for in our Christian walk. God loves us. We should give Him thanks in all circumstances, knowing that He is always with us. Even if we are experiencing difficult times, God is there to help us through.
Scott Kinnick, CBC Exec. Board
