1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

‘Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.'

Again we have a threefold injunction. Rejoicing, praying and giving of thanks which are to be continual and total. This is to be the spirit of the church. A satisfactory attitude of heart towards God in worship, prayer and gratitude is God's will for us and will enable the church to go forward in strength.

‘For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.' God's will for His people is that they be a rejoicing people, that their hearts be filled with joy, joy that endures through pain, through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22; 1 Thessalonians 1:6). They are to rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2), they are to rejoice in their tribulations because of the fruit that it produces within them (Romans 5:3), they are to rejoice in persecution and when men speak ill against them for Christ's sake because it puts them on the side of the prophets and it will bring them great reward (Matthew 5:11; Luke 6:23), they are to rejoice because their names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20), they are to rejoice in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6), they are to rejoice in costly service (Philippians 2:17), they are to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3:1; Philippians 3:3; Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:8) and in God through our Lord Jesus Christ because they have received atonement (Romans 5:11), they are to rejoice in their sufferings for the service of Christ (Colossians 1:24) because they are partakers in Christ's sufferings (1 Peter 4:13) and in testing (James 1:2), they are to rejoice because they have been begotten again to a living hope -- unto a salvation ready to be revealed at the last time' (1 Peter 1:3). Notice how often persecution and tribulation is mentioned. They are to be a cause of rejoicing.

God's will for His people is that they be a praying people. We are to pray for those who use us badly (Matthew 5:44), we are to pray for the establishing of God's Kingly Rule (Matthew 6:9), we are to pray for daily forgiveness and delivery from evil ((Matthew 6:12), we are to pray that the Lord will send forth labourers into the harvest (Matthew 9:38), we are to pray when times of testing approach (Matthew 26:41), we are to watch and pray in the light of the second coming (Mark 13:33), we are to pray for the work of God and His ambassadors (Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1), we are to pray for each other (Romans 1:9; Colossians 1:9). Indeed prayer is mentioned so often as the Christian's vital breath at all times that it is impossible to list all references. It is regularly mentioned in Acts. It is Paul's constant theme. He constantly assures his converts and the churches to whom he writes that he is praying for them. He constantly exhorts to prayer. It is assumed that it will accompany all we do. Praying without ceasing means that we should carry God with us in everything we do. If we cannot take God with us we should not be there.

God's will for His people is that they be a thankful people. Paul never ceased to give thanks (e.g. 1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:16; Eph 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:3). We are told that we must give thanks for everything (Ephesians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:18), abounding at all times (Colossians 2:7; Colossians 3:15; Colossians 3:17), and that thanksgiving should accompany all our prayers (Philippians 4:6; Colossians 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1).