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Rejoicing in Prayer

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

There is really no way to rejoice always without knowing that God has everything under control. I think it is interesting that “rejoice always” comes before “pray continually.” It says to me that if my heart isn’t in the right place, my prayers probably won’t be coming from a good place either. Praying continually should be like breathing. I don’t need to stop and think about breathing, I just breathe. To hold my breath, I have to stop and make a choice to do that. Would I stop and make a choice to stay out of the presence of God? I hope not. My attitude to others or how I react to stressful situations will show me very quickly if I am in the presence of God.

My wife and I recently took a trip through Tennessee with my teenage granddaughter. It was 95 degrees and my air-conditioning decided to stop working. It was terrible, but because my granddaughter was in the car with us, we were on our best behavior.

We made jokes about it and talked about how much more we would enjoy the cool lake water. We stopped after a couple of hours to get something to eat. As we were walking into the restaurant, I told her I was sorry she had to go through the hot ride, but getting upset never helps anything, and giving things over to God is always the right choice. As we were leaving, we prayed a simple prayer, “God please fix the air-conditioning.” We never had another problem with the air.

Can I have a “rejoice always” heart when no one is watching?

Yes, with God.

 Prayer Focus: Lord, help me to rejoice in all circumstances today.

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