“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything
give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” –1 Thessalonians
5:16-18
One of the most common, and profound, human questions is one
of purpose, “Why am I here?” From a Christian perspective this question is
adjusted slightly to, “What is God’s will for my life?”
From the beginning of creation humanity was made for an intimate relationship with God, in worship, in rejoicing, and in communion with God in prayer and in thanksgiving.
In Genesis 3:8 we see this intimacy between God and Adam and
Eve as God
walked with them in the cool of the day, “And they heard the sound of the
Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis
3:8).” God related intimately with His people from the very beginning.
Today we can find this intimate relationship with God
in our prayer lives. Billy Graham said this about prayer, “Prayer is simply a
two-way conversation between you and God.” Prayer is a conversation with a
friend, as Saint Teresa of Avila put it, “For prayer is nothing else than being
on terms of friendship with God.”
It is fitting that Paul asserts rejoicing, prayer and
thanksgiving as God’s will for our lives. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 he says, “Rejoice
always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will
for you in Christ Jesus.”
God desires our worship and God desires an intimate relationship
with us. Simply put, prayer is God’s will for us.
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