1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I am thinking of Kay (Transformer Kay) when I read these words today. We always have so much to be thankful for. God gave us free will, and one of the ways we can exercise that free will is to spend time in prayer and thankfulness. It is common for me to focus on small (or large) worries. I could just as easily focus on thankfulness.
Lord God, You are so generous and patient. I thank you for this day, for the work I have to do, for the sunshine and the beginning of Spring. All of these things come from you. I am yours. Amen
Becky, transforming
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 This section, near the end of Paul’s letter, (verses 12-22) sound a bit like Proverbs. Several short, but important things to remember. As I read and reread all these verses, I see a father leaving for the airport, suitcase in hand, giving last-minute instructions to the family. And they are good instructions and I paraphrase here: Mind your Mother Kids, don’t fight Encourage each other Have fun and be joyful Say your prayers But most important of all – be thankful always. If we are thankful always the rest comes easily. Prayer: gracious God in my daily prayers, mayI begin by first offering thanks. Amen 
Lord Thessalonians 5:16-18God’s love is all around us: in the air we breathe, the beautiful landscape, the friends and family we rely on, the small joys we experience each day. In the daily hustle and bustle of life, it can be so easy to forget to be thankful even if we know better. In times like this I try to remember the ultimate proof of God’s love for me. The joy and peace I/we find from His written word, can bring you and I closer to Him. Verse 17 saids "pray continually." This reminds me of my breath prayers throughout my day. The best way I know to pray throughout the day, is to live as though God…1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
The one pitfall that I see in praying continually to give thanks, is the repetition. I worry about repetition in saying the Lord’s pray and in saying parts of a church service that are repeated every Sunday. If I don’t emphasize words and say them slowly, with feeling, then they lose all meaning. When I pray thankfully, I need to pray for a specific thing. Fortunately, this is easy to do for the wonders, and people, that God has put into my life.
Dear Lord help me to see and appreciate all that I have. Amen.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I pray and give thanks for all that life has given to me. God has been very generous to me in this life, and I thank him daily for these gifts. I have found that no matter what life’s challenges are, we learn from them, and this makes us stronger. I thank God every day for the lessons and love he sends my way.
Dearest Lord, I thank you for being such a wonderful God. No matter how many times I disappoint, you accept my contrition and forgive me. Your love is unending and I thank you…
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I remember hearing this verse preached some time ago and the preacher really stressed the word, “all.” To take this seriously is to gain great spiritual strength and reflects total trust in God’s plan for one’s life. Giving thanks in all circumstances assumes God will bring good out of the bad. Like Becky, I am reminded of Kay Layne’s wise words about using trouble as an opportunity to give God thanks in advance for the help we will receive.
Prayer - God of all help, I seek the fortitude and confidence to give thanks in all circumstances. I must rely on the Holy Spirit to instill and nurture in me a perpetual attitude of gratitude. Amen
TAA