Praise, Pray, Rejoice

Last week while visiting with my mom, my brother and I had many conversations. He was telling me about reading the book "Power of Praise." From that conversation, I realized it was a good Lesson for Life.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God."

I need to be thankful for all things,  and pray without ceasing, then rejoicing will come. How can we be thankful when bad things happen? That just doesn't seem possible. God doesn't ask us to do the impossible. Our view of life may not be what God see.  For example, we see suffering (sickness, death, disaster) as bad. According to scripture, suffering is what God uses to bring us closer to Him. It is what molds our character to be more like Him.

An example prayer: "God, I don't understand what I am experiencing. But I know nothing happens to me that hasn't been approved by You. You know what is best for me, to make me more like a child of Yours. Help me, Lord, to accept this suffering at Your hand, just as Job did. He praised You in the midst of it all. So for all this, I say thank you. Amen."

That will take us to the next step, praying without ceasing. We continue to pray. Don't give up. Ask, seek, and knock. Listen to God. Seek His voice in scripture. He does not turn away from our cries, just as a mother does not turn her ear away from her crying child.

I know that if we do this seriously, with a committed heart, then rejoicing will come.
Psalm 30:5 "weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Why would this work? Our thoughts are turned heavenward, toward God. We now have our eyes on the Lord, and not on the things that are happening to us.

If you aren't sure this will work, try it. You may be surprised what God does when we look to Him and expect the goodness of God. 

I Peter 4:12-13 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."

His Grace Abounds
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