I want to pray with joy and thanksgiving.

Introduction

Prayer has been our focus for the past few weeks.

Prayer goals:

I want to pray for other people.

I want to pray with 100% certainty.

I want to pray for miracles.

I want to pray with humility.

"If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day." - E.M. Bounds

Prayer is one of the most foundational disciplines. We pray in the character of God with His kingdom in mind.

If you’ve noticed, I haven’t taught on how to pray. I’ve simply given you goals.

I believe that many Christians struggle with praying as often as they should.

What elements are there to prayer? What must always be included in every prayer that we utter to God?

Think about a normal day in your life. There are many circumstances. We all have needs, wants, and desires. There are anxieties. If you have family or friends, you are thinking about their lives. Professionally, there are always issues that can be running through your minds. Before you know it, there are thoughts making bee noises in your prayers. You feel like you need to run away from prayer at any moment.

We’ve got to try and place a foundation under us to protect us when we pray.

Prayer Goal # 5: “I want to pray with joy and thanksgiving”.

1 Thessalonians 5:

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NASB95

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians is the 2nd of Paul’s letters that was ever written. Galatians is the first. Paul traveled there during his 2nd missionary journey around A.D. 51. Thessalonica was the capital city of Macedonia. Paul preached there will Silas. There were Jewish people accusing Paul of being a heretic, a deceiver, and victimizer of public and he wrote this letter to defend himself against these accusers.

His teaching often mentioned that the early church was expecting the return of Jesus soon. The motivation for Christian living was based on this anticipation.

This letter is more practical than theological. Paul was wanting to write good news to a church that was experiencing an enemy attack to their well being.

19 words that can change your life if you will cling to them with all your heart. Paul gives three directives of divine will for the church.

1. The “joy” foundation. (v. 16)

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NASB95

Rejoice always;

Being joyful always is at first sight a little surprising from one who had to suffer as much and as continually as Paul. Even in the midst of tribulation, the church of Thessalonica could experience joy.

From an outward point of view, there was little to make believers rejoice.

Joy is a fruit of the spirit.

Joy is talked about frequently in the New Testament.

Joy - Positive human condition that can either be feeling or action.

Joy as Feeling - a feeling called forth by well-being, success, or good fortune. It comes when we experience favorable circumstances.

The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (). The disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing after Jesus’ ascension (). Joy was also the feeling of the church at Antioch when its members heard the Jerusalem Council’s decision that they did not have to be circumcised and keep the Law (). Paul mentioned his joy in hearing about the obedience of the Roman Christians (). He wrote to the Corinthians that love does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the right (; see also ; ; ; ; ; , , ).

The shepherd experienced joy when he found his lost sheep (). The multitude felt it when Jesus healed a Jewish woman whom Satan had bound for 18 years (). The disciples returned to Jerusalem rejoicing after Jesus’ ascension (). Joy was also the feeling of the church at Antioch when its members heard the Jerusalem Council’s decision that they did not have to be circumcised and keep the Law (). Paul mentioned his joy in hearing about the obedience of the Roman Christians (). He wrote to the Corinthians that love does not rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the right (; see also ; ; ; ; ; , , ).

Joy as Action - There is a joy that Scripture commands. This joy is an action that can be engaged regardless of how the person feels.

Christ instructed his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, reviled, and slandered (, ). The apostle Paul commanded continuous rejoicing (; ). James said Christians are to reckon it all joy when they fall into various testings because such testings produce endurance (). seems to include both action and emotion when it says, “But rejoice [the action] in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad [the emotion] when his glory is revealed.” Joy in adverse circumstances is possible only as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is present in every Christian ().

Christ instructed his disciples to rejoice when they were persecuted, reviled, and slandered (, ). The apostle Paul commanded continuous rejoicing (; ). James said Christians are to reckon it all joy when they fall into various testings because such testings produce endurance (). seems to include both action and emotion when it says, “But rejoice [the action] in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad [the emotion] when his glory is revealed.” Joy in adverse circumstances is possible only as a fruit of the Holy Spirit, who is present in every Christian ().

Joy - chairo. Various words in the bible comes from this word.

The word for ‘grace’.

The word for ‘to forgive’.

The word for ‘to give thanks’.

The word for ‘gifts of the Spirit’.

Joy provides the foundation for Christian character.

Coaching little league baseball. Joy is one of the most powerful forms of defense against the enemy.

Joy in action is crucial to living a joyful life. A joyful life will make a joyful prayer.

2. The “ceaseless” foundation. (v. 17)

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB95

pray without ceasing;

"In order to enjoy the Word, we ought to continue to read it, and the way to obtain a spirit of prayer, is, to continue praying..." - George Muller

“without ceasing” - constantly; unceasingly with unflagging resolve. In other words, “pray without intermission”.

Paul did not have a formal, audible prayer in mind when he wrote this verse. That would be impossible to carry out To pray constantly means that the entire life of the believer is lived in dependence on God.

Paul did not tell the church of Thessalonica to move their lips more. “It is not in moving of the lips, but in the elevation of the heart to God, that the essence of prayer consists.” This elevation enables us to put into practice the idea to pray continually.

It is not possible to pray with our heads bowed and eyes closed at all times, but it is is possible for all moments and all days to be in the spirit of prayer.

Being conscious of his presence in your lives.

In 1893, St. Jerome said, “Farther, although the apostle bids us to “pray without ceasing,” and although to the saints their very sleep is a supplication, we ought to have fixed hours of prayer, that if we are detained by work, the time may remind us of our duty. Prayers, as every one knows, ought to be said at the third, sixth and ninth hours, at dawn and at evening.9 No meal should be begun without prayer, and before leaving table thanks should be returned to the Creator. We should rise two or three times in the night, and go over the parts of Scripture which we know by heart. When we leave the roof which shelters us, prayer should be our armor; and when we return from the street we should pray before we sit down, and not give the frail body rest until the soul is fed. In every act we do, in every step we take, let our hand trace the Lord’s cross.”

When you hear the word, “pray without ceasing”, it is easy to feel overwhelmed with this concept. Most of it depends on your standpoint though. A basketball player who loves the game is playing even when he is not on the court. (Tye) We all have one or several things in our life that we give our attention naturally. Everything that we put in will bring more opportunity.

What about situations that we need at every hour? No one says “It’s just too overwhelming to breathe at all times of the day.” We need oxygen at every hour of every day. The hymn says, “I need thee every hour.” The more you learn the love of Jesus and experience Him in relationship, the more naturally your heart is lifted to Him at all time.

Joy provides you the covering to experience God in prayer at all times without intermission.

3. The “thanksgiving” foundation. (v. 18)

Paul is not asking his readers to thank God for

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB95

in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Paul is not asking his readers to thank God for all the bad things that are happening. He tells them to be thankful in the midst of various and changing situations in life whether they are good or bad.

Thanksgiving = Grateful

Paul believed that there were always good reasons to be grateful.

Even in difficulties and trials God is teaching valuable lessons. “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” -

A thankful heart makes God smile. It is powerful tool to keep Satan away from us. The ability to thank God in every circumstance provides a relief from worry.

A thankful heart provides the believer an advantage.

Gratitude - The natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, or love. It is not a tool to be used to manipulate the will of God but a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God.

In the NT, the object of thanksgiving is the love of God expressed in the redemptive-work of Christ. The apostle Paul thanked God for that gift of grace (; ) and the ability to preach the gospel (; Tm 1:12). Paul thankfully participated in the spiritual gifts (). Gratitude for love and faith among believers pervades his letters (; , ; ; , ; , ).

“This” in verse 18 brings the idea of joy, prayer without ceasing, and thanksgiving all together. The word “will” means requirement.

They form a unity and belong together. As members of the church who are in fellowship with Christ Jesus they are asked to do what God wants them to do in the mater of joy, prayer, and gratitude.

Paul explains that it is the Christians responsibility to display these distinctions to the world. God makes His desires known to His people so they will display His character to the world.

Athanasius of Alexandria in 1892 “Let us, therefore, in the faith of the disciples, hold frequent converse with our Master. For the world is like the sea to us, my brethren, of which it is written, ‘This is the great and wide sea, there go the ships We float on this sea, as with the wind, through our own free-will, for every one directs his course according to his will, and either, under the pilot-age of the Word, he enters into rest, or, laid hold on by pleasure, he suffers shipwreck, and is in peril by storm. For as in the ocean there are storms and waves, so in the world there are many afflictions and trials. The unbelieving therefore ‘when affliction or persecution ariseth is offended,’ as the Lord said. For not being confirmed in the faith, and having his regard towards temporal things, he cannot resist the difficulties which arise from afflictions. But like that house, built on the sand by the foolish man, so he, being without understanding, fails before the assault of temptations, as it were by the winds. But the saints, having their senses exercised in self-possession, and being strong in faith, and understanding the word, do not faint under trials; but although, from time to time, circumstances of greater trial are set against them, yet they continue faithful, and awaking the Lord Who is with them, they are delivered. So, passing through water and fire, they find relief and duly keep the feast, offering up prayers with thanksgiving to God Who has redeemed them. For either being tempted they are known, like Abraham, or suffering they are approved, like Job, or being oppressed and deceitfully treated, like Joseph, they patiently endure it, or being persecuted, they are not overtaken; but as it is written, through God they ‘leap over the wall’ of wickedness, which divides and separates between brethren, and turns them from the truth. In this manner the blessed Paul, when he took pleasure in infirmities, in reproach, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses for Christ, rejoiced, and wished all of us to rejoice saying, ‘Rejoice always; in everything give thanks”

Your joyful, prayerful, and grateful heart will carry you through each and every circumstance. The rest of the world is tossed around by the world. You have a vessel to get you through but you have to choose whether or not you will hold on.