Today’s Superverse is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
At the close of his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul provides several marvellous bullet points about Christian living. One such bullet point concerns maintaining a joyful, prayerful, and thankful attitude despite adverse circumstances. Paul instructs them not to allow adverse circumstances rob them of joy–he knows from biblical theology that suffering is part of being Christian–instead it involves keeping an attitude created by God’s Holy Spirit within. They should rejoice no matter the circumstance because He loves them most fully through Christ Jesus!
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus for you. These admonitions should guide Thessalonians as they await Christ’s return; joyously praying without ceasing and giving thanks without ceasing are not simply nice sentiments to remember but are concrete actions which help Christians draw closer to Christ and be better prepared for His return.
As Christians are not capable of following these commands on their own, the Holy Spirit must help them to maintain an attitude of joy, constant prayer, and thankfulness – remembering that their source of happiness lies within God’s incredible grace for sinners’ salvation.
To effectively follow these commands, believers must be equipped and instructed in God’s Word so they understand its teachings regarding rapture, resurrection of the dead, and second coming of Christ. Furthermore, it’s vitally important that they learn how to discern and test teaching before making decisions based on any particular approach; also they must maintain a close relationship with Jesus so they may respond instantly when He calls for action at any given moment.
One effective way to foster an attitude of joy, prayer and thankfulness is joining a Bible study group and studying its Word with other believers. When reading Scriptures together with your group members, pay close attention to literary form (discourse, prose or poetry) as well as mood or atmosphere in each passage, chapter or book you read – doing so will greatly assist with how you interpret the Scriptures; plus spending more time studying your Bible will make applying its teachings to everyday life much simpler!
