Do you stress and give thanks at the same time? Do you give thanks in everything…not FOR everything but IN everything? In 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, Paul teaches a commonsense remedy to enjoy everyday living thankfully, faithfully, hopefully, and lovingly.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks.”
My computer underlines ‘in’ with a wavy blue line to warn of an error in writing. The small word, used wisely by Apostle Paul, reminds us to give thanks in everything. In God’s perfect timing healing comes when we give thanks in everything, stay prayed up, and rejoice without ceasing. Our faithful thanksgiving gets God’s attention. When His children’s hearts are broken, homes divided, and horrible happenings shatter hope, He keeps His promise to bind wounds and heal hearts. He will never fail us…even when we fail to give thanks in everything. Paul’s plea to rejoice, pray, and in everything give thanks puts in proper perspective what we need to do without ceasing. There is power in rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks to God simultaneously; they support one another. In other words, we can count it great joy – not an error – when we rejoice, pray, and give thanks all at once in all things…even the things that turn our world upside down.
As you prepare for Thanksgiving, take time to reflect and write on notecards some of the happy, heartbreaking, sensational, and sorrowful things you have faced or are facing in your life. Write what you are believing for God to do in your life as you press forward in faith. Pray over each thing you wrote on your notecard(s) …rejoice for each heartbreak and hallelujah written on your heart and recorded on your card…give thanks that God brought you through each situation and is bringing you through some that are tearing at your heartstrings in this season of thanksgiving. Pray over the personal, precious, painful, situations you have faced or are presently facing.
Write three things on your cards that you are praying for God to do in your life and pray over them every morning as you prepare for a new day and every night as you shower and settle for a good night’s sleep. Find scriptures that speak to what you request, say them each time you read your cards, search your heart, seek God’s purpose, soak up His presence, and see what God can do when you rejoice, pray, and give thanks in all the things.
Hearts may need healing as we adjust to life here, with loved ones in heaven, empty nests with children living far away, broken relationships that seem irreparable, family disagreements that cause division, addictions that destroy dreams, even stress and worry from work and overextended schedules that drain energy and distances one from the Lord and loved ones. God knows every detail about His children and sees motives in everything we do and say! He longs to live in our hearts, bringing healing, help, happiness and hallelujahs in everything we face…even sorrow and sadness!
The enemy knows about us too and attacks where we are weakest. Satan schemes to stop God’s plans for our lives and make us miserable. The devil would like for us to stop rejoicing, cease praying, and give thanksgiving in nothing. However, he has no power when we put our trust in God, stand on His promises, keep His Word in our hearts and live by His Son’s example.
So, what can we do ‘for such a time as this’ when standing up for Jesus is frowned upon, what is wrong seems right and what is right seems wrong, people feel entitled instead of grateful, hatred and pointing fingers have replaced giving thanks and doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, and Jesus could return any day?
We can rejoice, give thanks, speak scripture and pray! Giving thanks in everything, standing on the promises of Christ our King, and living by God’s Word will send Satan on his way.