Doable or Impossible?

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”    –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Have you ever met someone who is always joyful, never stops praying and is thankful in everything? Me neither. I’d love to be this way but it seems so impossible. Does it mean we ignore these commands in the bible? No. In today’s post, we will look at each command and share how doable it is to obey these commands.

Always be Joyful

How can we possibly always be joyful? Does it mean we go around with a smile on our face at all times? No, because that is not reality. I believe it really boils down to a choice to be joyful no matter what comes our way. Even in heartache and deep pain, we can be joyful. Why? Because we trust God. He is consistent. God has never let us down and never will. When our focus is on who God is, we can join with the psalmist in saying:

I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. – Psalm 9:2

One practical way to develop this habit of always being joyful is to worship. When we feel down or discouraged,  play and sing a worship song. It puts our minds back on God and all He has done for us.

Never Stop Praying

According to our verse, we are to never stop praying. This verse used to confuse me and actually made me feel like a failure. How can we never stop praying?

I believe this verse is referencing our need to be in a habit of prayer. We aren’t able to necessarily pray every moment, but we can pray regularly. We can be in an attitude of prayer. Instead of worrying, we can remember this scripture verse:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Philippians 4:6

One way to develop the habit of prayer is anytime a friend or family member comes to mind, pause and pray for them. Or when you are at a stop light, pray about the situation that is distracting you.

Be thankful in all circumstances

Be thankful. It sounds so simple but it can be hard to do. Especially when we face hard times. God wants us to be thankful in everything.

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -Ephesians 5:20

We can live this out by once again trusting in God’s character. He is faithful to work everything out for our good.

One way to develop the habit of being thankful is keeping a gratitude journal. A couple times a week or each day, write down a few things you are thankful for. This habit has been so life giving for me. I have personally used the Choose Gratitude Journal and the Gratitude Journal for Women. I would recommend both of these journals. You can also just grab a notebook and start listing the things you are grateful for.

Doable or Impossible?

Always be joyful. Never Stop Praying. Be thankful in all circumstances. These commands in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 are doable with God. We are able to obey as we tap into the Holy Spirit.

How will you walk out the truth of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 today? Which command do you feel like will be the hardest to implement? What is one habit you can start right now to always be joyful, never stop praying, and be thankful in everything? Please share in the comments below.

P.S. Every Thursday on my Facebook page, I share two links to worship songs I love. This would be a great way to grow in always being joyful. Be sure to follow my Facebook page so you can praise God with me each week.

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