Rejoice Always, Pray Continually & Give Thanks In All Circumstance
I Say It Again, Rejoice!
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-22
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
”I Thessalonians 5:16-22 NKJV
https://www.bible.com/114/1th.5.16-22.nkj
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Obeying these commandments-to be joyful, to never stop praying, and to be thankful in all circumstances, often goes against our natural inclinations.
However, our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings.
When we make a conscious effort to do what God says, we will begin to see people in a new perspective.
When we do God's will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful, so don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength (NEHEMIAH 8:10).
We can't spend all of our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. This attitude is built upon our knowledge and dependence on God, our awareness of His presence within us, and the decision to obey Him in all things. Then we will find it natural to pray frequently and spontaneously; though a prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer.
Paul said that believers should never stop praying. A Christian's persistence is an expression of faith, that God does answer our prayers.
Faith shouldn't fade if the answers are coming slowly, or in a different way than one hoped for, for God knows you and your needs far better than you. He sees not just in part, but the whole picture and the future, so you can be sure He is present at all times and answers prayers accordingly. He hears your every prayer, and His timing is always perfect for you, and your good.
But we must be aware that He is not there just for you, but for all believers, and to bring about His will in all things here on earth as it is in heaven (MATHEW 6:9-13).
Therefore, don’t be surprised by the feeling He isn’t answering prayer, but trust that He is, His way, not yours, and accept the fact that He is always right.
Evil doesn't come from God, so we shouldn't thank Him for it, but when evil strikes, we can be thankful for God's presence and for the good that He will achieve through the distress. For we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them (ROMANS 8:28).
By warning us to not "quench the Holy Spirit," Paul is saying that we shouldn't ignore or toss aside the gifts of the Holy Spirit, nor reject prophecy simply because we don’t understand it. Here He mentions prophecy (5:20); in 1 CORINTHIANS 14:39, He mentions speaking in tongues.
Sometimes spiritual gifts are controversial, and they may cause division in a church. But all these things are important to ministry, God always speaks out through His Prophets before He acts; therefore rather than reject, we must test, approve, and walk in God’s true spoken words.
Instead of trying to resolve the issues, some Christians prefer to smother the gifts. This impoverished the church.
We shouldn't stifle the the Holy Spirit's work in anyone's life, but encourage the full expression of these gifts to benefit the whole body of Christ. For we are all of one body of which Christ is the head, and every Spirit filled believer falls into at least one of the categories of the five fold ministries of Christ, apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelist (EPHESIANS 4:11). Furthermore, unity shouldn’t be too difficult because we are all individually gifted by the same Spirit (1 CORINTHIANS 12:4-11).
Therefore, test the spirit, the source of the word (1 JOHN 4:1-5).
We shouldn't scoff prophecies, or make fun of those who are called to speak for God. But we should always test everything that is said by testing the spirit and checking their words through prayer and what is written in the Bible.
We are putting ourselves in very dangerous ground if we mock or rebuke a person who speaks out for God. We should check out what is being said, accepting everything that is true, and rejecting that what is false. Sometimes it is difficult to discern for their are many false prophets and the devil is clever and deceitful, he uses them to bring his lies often through our emotions to get the reaction he wants. My beloved, don’t respond to emotions, and rely only on the facts. Emotions are not designed to bring discernment. “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.””
Acts 5:38-39 NKJV
My beloved, Paul gives us good advice: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever. Amen.
