Want to know God’s will for your life? Part of it is that you are full of joy and peace. The Apostle Paul tells you how to accomplish God’s will for your life, always rejoice, and pray without ceasing. Focus on this, and you will notice the change.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Walk in Joy and Peace
Sometimes we need to be told to do things that produce a positive result in our spirit. It’s too easy to focus on what is wrong or what could happen and then sink into a funk because it seems like everything is caving in. As Christians, we are to walk in joy and peace. Those come from us rejoicing and being in constant prayer. A warning, though, don’t take this verse too literally. I knew someone who walked around doing this. He wouldn’t respond to you if you asked him a question. When it says, “without ceasing,” it means consistently.
Always Rejoice
To rejoice is to give back joy to the person who gave it to you. Someone has a baby you rejoice with them because of the joy you have from that new life coming into the world. When a couple gets married, we celebrate or rejoice with them. We rejoice with God because He has saved us and put the joy of that salvation in us. So if you lack joy in your heart, start with telling God how good He has been in your life. Thank Him for all that He has done.
Pray Consistently
The peace we need for our daily walk comes from our time in prayer. Paul tells us in Philippians 4 to bring all of your burdens to the Lord, and He will give you a peace that passes all understanding. That comes from spending time in prayer. Do this. Next time you feel the need to complain about your life, take it to Jesus, instead of your friend. You will find that He will lift that burden off of you. Don’t hold anything back; give it all to Him.