Prayer Meeting Devotional: Pray Without Ceasing

Introduction

I had a classmate in Bible school named Tyler

He was always so cheerful!

7 am duty at the dining hall? He’d greet you with a cheerful hello even though you’re still half asleep

Pouring rain while walking to class? He still had a huge smile on his face anyway.

He was so cheerful, it sometimes got annoying.

Even to this day… and I know this because I looked him up on Facebook this week… he still has that big smile that I knew him for all those years ago.

I only learned halfway through the year what kind of tough upbringing that Tyler had.

I don’t remember many of details anymore, but just to give an example, he was an alcoholic by the age of 14.

But then he accepted Jesus as his Saviour, his life turned around, and as a result, he couldn’t help but be cheerful!

Scripture

Our scripture today is from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which contains what are probably some of the most difficult imperatives that the Apostle Paul has written

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Now you might say, it does not seem to be so hard

But if you really think about it, in our broken world, with all of the pain and hurt around us...

Rejoicing always, praying without ceasing, and giving thanks in all circumstance can be quite a heavy commandment to fulfill

And yet, but these commandments are repeated in other places...

For example, you’re all probably very familiar with Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

In Colossians 4:2, Paul says “2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

And in Ephesians 5:20, it says… we should be“...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

So how do we do these thigns?

Posture

Well, taking a look at the first imperative, to “Rejoice always” is a good place to start.

The important thing to note here is that it is not necessarily the experience of Joy - that is, the emotion of joy - that is expected of belivers, but rather the active expression of joy.

The way I have explained it in the past is this… Happiness is the emotion. You can become happy for many different reasons, and at the same time, that happiness can pretty easilly be taken away.

Joy on the other hand is not an emotion, but rather a response… It is an action, an attitude, or a posture, that you have regardless of the emotional state that you are in.

Now, I know that this is kind of like playing around with words.

After all, if you stopped anyone on the street and ask them to define the word joy, most would really consider it to be just a synonym for the word happy…

Or maybe they’ll say something like joy is being extremely happy… that is, it’s the next step above happiness.. Here’s one dictionary definition for example...

the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation

In any case, I think people, even if they consider joy to be just another emotion, will generally agree that there is something more to being joyful than just being happy...

Consider this other dictionary definition: a deep feeling or condition of happiness or contentment

I think that people instinctively know that being joyful isn’t the same as laughing at a joke, or being happy that today is payday...

So what is it then that separates joy from happiness? Well for Christians, the obvious answer is the salvation that we have in Jesus Christ, and of course all of the benefits that come along with that.

Romans 5 gives us what is probably the best explanations in the Bible for the source of our joy, and how we should leverage that joy when we face life’s trials...

Romans 5:2-5 “2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Pray & Give Thanks

With this in mind, the next two commandments become quite a lot easier to understand...

When we know that the source of our joy is the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, then it “17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances....” just makes a lot of sense!

For example, when bad things happen, we have assurance from Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

And if this is the case, why wouldn’t we pray about everything! Going back to the verses in Philippians 4… let’s look at the whole section there...

Philippians 4:4-7 “4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

What a wonderful promise that God has given us!

And in fact, when you think of it this way… if rejoicing always, to praying without ceasing, and to giving thanks for everything… become less of an imperative.. and more of an opportunity.

Here’s how one author puts it...

1 & 2 Thessalonians Contemporary Significance

Do we truly believe that God’s salvation is of more value than the cost of persecution that comes as a result of accepting the gospel? Then let us demonstrate that conviction by rejoicing in the midst of it. Are we really persuaded that God will indeed deliver his people and bring justice on their behalf? Then let us pray with persistence and patience, waiting and watching expectantly for God to act (cf. Luke 18:1–8, the parable of the persistent widow). Are we genuinely convinced that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Rom. 8:28)? Then let us demonstrate that conviction by giving thanks in all circumstances

To be clear, friends, these commandments are not meant to negate the emotions and concerns that we all may face in life.

We know that on this side of eternity, the possibility for pain, sadness and discouragement are many

But with Christ in our lives, we are given the power to overcome these things. We have unending joy and indescribable hope.

Romans 15:13 ESV

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.