Daily Devotion – August 12, 2020 – Erin Bjerke
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”?
I suppose that when Paul said “pray without ceasing” he could have meant to tell us to be in a constant dialogue with God. I know people who seem to do that, but for most of us, consciously talking (and listening) to God constantly seems like a daunting task, and honestly, probably not one that we would actually want to accomplish. Praying can seem like a chore. So why did Paul tell the Thessalonians to “pray without ceasing”?
Well, I would have to do a lot more historical research to answer that question, but here’s what I think Paul might be getting at.
Give thanks and praise to God at every opportunity. It looks like Paul is telling the Thessalonians to always be giving thanks to God and setting their minds on godly things, rather than evil things.
How do we give thanks constantly? Well, one way to let someone know that you’re thankful for a gift is to use it (and make sure the giver sees you using it). That means you might wear your new sweater when you go to visit your grandma or use the cookware that your mom gave you when she comes over for dinner. In the same way, we can show our thanks to God by using the gifts he has given us. One of my friends once pointed out to me that the trees outside were praising God just by being. We can do that too! God created us to love God and to love others. When we’re doing that, we’re praising God!
So wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, I encourage you to thank God often. It not only glorifies God, but it will put you in a more grateful state of mind. The more thankful you are, the more thankful you’ll want to be, and then it won’t feel like a chore 😉
Let’s pray.
Thank you, God, for giving us life, home, friends and family, food and clothing, and your Son. Thank you for taking care of us, and for the abundance that you give us every day. Amen.
