Day 3 - Week 68 - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."

"Prayer is a practice to cultivate.  To pray constantly means prayer is recurrent, something we keep doing incessantly and frequently, a perpetual pattern, not constantly occurring but consistently recurring.  If we read through 1 Thessalonians, by the time we get to this verse, we'll have noticed several prior references to the habit.  Paul began the book saying, 'We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers.'  In chapter 2 he said, 'We constantly thank God, because...you received the message.'  He added in chapter 3, 'We pray earnestly night and day to see you face to face.'  Paul wasn't literally on his knees around the clock, but his prayers were frequent and recurrent." - Robert J. Morgan from 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart. 

Do you see a difference in saying, "Pray constantly" and "Never stop praying"?  While they really say the same thing, they carry with them a different picture, don't they?   I think the latter is what is meant to be conveyed to us....we are to never give up on praying, we are to never abandon praying, we are never to disregard the tremendous gift that has been given to us....access to our Father through the gift of prayer. 

I would say this verse can be viewed as an encouragement..."pray constantly"...reminding us to pray throughout our day, bringing before God each moment of trouble as well as each moment of thanksgiving.  And I think this verse can be viewed as a directive..."never stop praying"...an instruction for our spiritual well-being, keeping our relationship with God alive and strong.

" 'Rejoice evermore: pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.' Borne up between the never-ceasing joy and never-ceasing praise, never-ceasing prayer is the manifestation of the power of the eternal life."   Andrew Murray

Day 2 -- Week 68 - 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray constantly."

We are back in town after spending a few days traveling with our son, daughter-in-law and two very, very sweet granddaughters. Genny and Audrey are 5 and 3, just the ages where everything they say seems to either be the smartest thing you think you've ever heard come out of a child's mouth or the funniest! I think you can tell that they bring me joy! They make my heart happy and I truly count them as such a heavenly blessing to my life! Seeing Genny thoroughly enjoy the production of "Mary Poppins" that we attended was such a treat, as was watching Audrey's ear-to-ear smile in the hotel pool!  Memories to treasure!


"Pray constantly." Sounds rather unrealistic, doesn't it? Are we actually being instructed to be in solitude with God 24/7? Weren't Jesus' instructions to "go into your room and close the door"? How can we be in that kind of position and continue on with life?

Jesus' instructions were given to counter the public, and very showy, prayers of the Pharisees. I believe He was saying to keep our deep conversations with God to our private times with Him, and not to go on and on in our public prayers.  Conversely, I think Paul is telling us that we are to be in a spirit of prayer always.  That our troubled thoughts are to be replaced with a confident prayer. 

Prayer is the conduit for the power source of our life...God.  Prayer brings Him into our life, and into our thoughts.  Prayer focuses our minds on Him, rather than on here.  Whatever it is that is troubling us, God is bigger than and when we shift our thought process to Him, He overcomes.

Also, prayer is our method for thanksgiving and praise.  Whenever we have a moment of true joy (such as those I experienced this weekend), we are to pause and give thanks to God for blessing our life in such a manner.  To remind ourselves that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.  To savor His presence in that moment of joy in the acknowledgement of His goodness toward us.

Robert J. Morgan says, "When we cultivate a consciousness and subconsciousness of God's abiding presence, it becomes natural to speak to Him spontaneously through the day.  We learn to pray as we walk on the greenways and drive down the highways.  We start and close each day with a word of prayer. We pause to pray before meals and after meetings.  We never endeavor anything of significance without breathing a word of prayer or praise."

This is the lifestyle of praying constantly that Paul leads us toward.  It is the constant acknowledgement of God and His abiding presence in our lives.  He is with us always.

Day 1 - Week 68 - Are you feeling the joy?

I hope these weeks of filling our hearts with Scriptures regarding God's kind of happiness have made a difference in your outlook of your life.  We should see our lives as opportunities to explain the joy that is within us.  Just as Peter tells us, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," I think we should also be ready to share the reason for the joy  that we have.  But that requires being a joyful person.  When people's first thought of us is one of negativity, they probably aren't looking to us as a source of joy.  We should be the ones that people turn to when they need uplifting and encouragment...are we filling that role in the lives of those around us? 

I want to be remembered as someone who added light to this life, even in times of darkness; who encouraged someone when they were feeling that life had really let them down; who reminded someone that, no matter what, God in heaven hears their prayer, sees their situation and loves them enough to leave heaven's glory, come to earth, and save them from despair.  The supernatural joy of God is most apparent when the situations we are immersed in are joyless---that's when our light shines the strongest. The kind of joy that emerges when it doesn't quite make sense to anyone else does not form in our lives just at the time we need it the most...it is a joy that has been acquired over years of trusting God through everything life has brought us, good and bad, so that it has become embedded in our very being.  A joy that sees through the clouds to the promise of tomorrow's sunshine.

Our next verse is another simple one, and if you got the source down for last week's verse, which was its hardest part, then this week is really going to be easy.  Another two worder!  And neither of the words is joy!  But it is the instructional verse on how to acquire and keep joy in our lives.  Do you know how?

1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray constantly."  Robert J. Morgan introduces this verse by saying, "Pray constantly is midway through a trilogy of tiny, personality-altering verses at the end of 1 Thessalonians.  Millions have memorized this verse from the King James Version as 'Pray without ceasing,' wondering if it's really possible to do that." 

Well, this week we will talk about how our prayer life affects the joy in our life.  How we pray, how often we pray, what we expect from our prayers. 

Let's review our recent verses and then we'll continue our journey!

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.
Romans 12:18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (NKJV)
Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle word turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath."

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
John 15:11 "I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete."
1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."

Wishing you a day where your heart experiences the joy of God's love!

Day 4 - Week 67 - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."

To be honest, I'm going to hate leaving this verse...first because of its simplicity, and second because it is such a great reminder of the joy we are to have, no matter what!

In Priscilla Shirer's Bible Study, "Seed", the second session covers Scriptures that remind us that whatever we have been given by God, through our faith in Jesus, is enough.  We do not have to be whiny children constantly asking for more when we realize that He has given us everything we need to accomplish whatever it is that He is asking of us, and we need no more than that.  Isn't that a great realization to come to terms with?  If I need something to do what God sets before me to do, He'll supply it.  Otherwise, "don't need it!"  Being freed from the need for more and more stuff can certainly be a reason for a big shout of a hallelujah kind of joy!

God is enough - He gives us enough - we can rejoice in the fact that He will not turn His back on His children.  He sees, He hears, He cares.  When we feel that He hasn't supplied our needs for some reason or another, we need to reevaluate that need and bring it before Him, asking His wisdom to determine if it was really a need, or possibly a "want." 

Can we deny that children throughout the world go to bed hungry and starving?  How is God supplying their needs?  I cannot presume to know the mind of God, but I know that He sees, that He hears, and that He cares for these children of His.  When faced with these questions, I have to trust in the God of the Bible who continually reminds us of His infinite love for humanity.  And I have to trust Him that He has purpose, and that sometimes He delivers those children from a world of suffering into His loving arms. 

Trusting in a God who promises me always "enough" in Him, enough to see me through this life to be ushered into His eternal home, gives me reason to be able to rejoice always.  I pray that I would say the same in circumstances much less comfortable than those I enjoy, and I absolutely pray for those around the world who at this very moment are feeling forgotten....you are not.  He is there.  He sees, He hears, He cares.

Day 3 - Week 67 - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - "Rejoice always."

I love typing out the "Title" this week because I have no qualms that I will be able to type the verse out without having to glance back one little bit!  Just those sweet two words, "Rejoice always."  But as we discussed, it's the "always" that makes this directive tougher than it sounds. 

I love this paragraph from "100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart" by Robert J. Morgan,

There's no excuse for not memorizing this verse.  It's the shortest in the Bible.  As a child, I was told that John 11:35 ("Jesus wept.") was the Bible's smallest verse.  That is the shortest verse in the English Bible.  But in the Greek New Testament, 1 Thessalonians 5:16 is even shorter.  In a sense we have two shortest verses in the Bible.  In the Greek, it is "Rejoice always," and in our English Bible, it's "Jesus wept."  Quite a contrast, isn't it---weeping and rejoicing?  But how appropriate!  Because Jesus wept, we can rejoice.  Because He bears our sorrows, we experience His joy.

Isn't that an amazing thing to note!  Two two-word verses that when you put them side-by-side have such a dramatic effect!  For it is only because of Jesus that we have cause for true joy.

Oh yes, people who have not come to know the gift of Jesus and have not experienced His presence in their lives have moments of happiness and what I would call "pseudo-joy" in this life.  Anyone who experiences the birth of a child, the view of a glorious sunset, the deep love of another person...these are moments of joy for any person (and I believe they are all gifts of God given to all that all may see His goodness).

But a joy that defies justification...a joy that is present even when circumstances are less than pleasant...a joy that, despite it all, keeps a person smiling and confident when everything is less than certain, I believe that kind of true, deep, abiding joy only comes when you have such a trust in a loving Heavenly Father, in the sacrificial gift of His obedient Son, and in the active and living presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, that you have no reason to do anything else in life but rejoice!

I'm thinking of just such an attitude displayed by a friend of mine, Misty Cooke.  When her daughter was in a tragic car accident two years ago (the 2nd anniversary was this week, June 14), it looked like Hayden did not have a chance.  Horrific head injury required a craniotomy, followed by weeks spent in a coma.  When I visited Misty at the ICU, she was not falling apart.  She was not in pieces.  She did not look like a wreck.  She was calm, composed and beautiful.  Was this because she was denying the seriousness of what was going on with her sweet 16 year old daughter?  No, it was because she was affirming her faith in God, her confidence that her daughter's life was in His hands. 

So, so gratefully, God restored Hayden to a full life.  She just graduated from high school and will start college in the fall to pursue a degree in nursing.  Both Misty and Hayden have shared wonderful words of testimony as to how God has blessed their lives.  I am so thankful that they knew God's joy in the middle of the storm!

Rejoice always!  Even when it's tough!

Day 2 - Week 67 - 1 Thessalonians 5:16 "Rejoice always."

Simple verse, isn't it?  It's just that second word that makes it difficult.  ALWAYS.  Paul leaves us no outs...he doesn't say, "Rejoice when things are going great", or "Rejoice when you have no problems", or "Rejoice when your financial picture looks better than it ever has"...nope, Paul leaves it at, "Rejoice always."

How good are you at this?  I think it all depends on how you view life.  IF life, in your eyes, boils down to what we now see, hear, feel---physically experience---then it is hard to rejoice when what we are seeing, hearing, feeling, experiencing is anything less than pleasant.  Our current circumstances will dictate whether we are joyful or not.  If the difficult experience of today has no promise of blessing for tomorrow, why rejoice?

But, IF you see the life that we now know as the beginning of something beautiful, extremely beautiful, and that everything we currently experience can be of some eternal worth, experiences that our Heavenly Father uses to mold us and shape us into people of Christ-like character, then, yes, each moment of this less than perfect life can bring us into a joyful state. 

As believers in Christ, who died for us to give us eternal life, we are to rejoice always.  We are to constantly look beyond what life is showing us with reborn eyes, where we can see the Kingdom of God, the home that Jesus has gone to prepare for us, and the home that, the older I get, becomes so much more real to me. 

Even in our darkest moments, when we have lost someone we dearly love, we can rejoice.  We can rejoice knowing that they have not reached their end, they have reached their eternal joy.  How absolutely true will these two words ring when we reach heaven's gates..."Rejoice always!"

Day 1 - Week 67 - The first of our last three verses of joy, joy, and joy!

I think it's very cool that one of the two largest group of verses that we will cover is this one...the group regarding joy, God's kind of happiness.  Sometimes we get so bogged down in our earthly lives that we forget that we are called to lives of true and absolute joy.  Not a joy that ignores the unpleasant things around us, but a joy that, despite the unpleasantness of circumstances, sees beyond the current and sees into the much deeper and eternal aspects of our lives.  A joy that can only come from God, the giver of all good and perfect gifts.

So, on to our tenth joyful verse...and, believe me, this is one you're going to love memorizing! 

But before we get to that treat, let's review...

Obedience (10)
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord.
Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.
Romans 12:18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Hebrews 10:25 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." (NKJV)
Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle word turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath."

The Holy Spirit's Role in our Lives (6)
Ephesians 5:18 "And don't get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making music in to the Lord in your hearts."
Ephesians 5:20 "Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 5:21 "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."
Galatians 5:22 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
2 Timothy 1:14 "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you...guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us."

Joy: God's Kind of Happiness (12)
Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Philippians 4:4 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"
Philippians 4:5 "Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near."
Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit."
James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
James 1:3-4 "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you will be mature and complete, lacking nothing."
John 15:11 "I have spoken these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete."

And what is this week's verse that I just know you are going to welcome wholeheartedly?  Well it is a joyful verse, but it is also a very, very short verse.  The hardest thing to remember about this one will be the source...
1 Thessalonians 5:16  "Rejoice always!"

There you go...I think you'll have this one down quickly!  But as simple as it may be to memorize, it is certainly not that simple to live out.  Rejoice always...that means no matter what!  We already memorized Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again, 'Rejoice!'"...and now we get the condensed version...rejoice always!

This verse, coupled with the next two verses in 1 Thessalonians 5, will complete the dozen Scriptures that we will bank regarding the joy we are to have.  The next two are easy as well, but combined make a powerful combination of instruction for our lives.

Let's keep traveling down the trail of our 100 verses, and let's continue to do it with a joy that we have not previously known!