“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
This verse is a perfect reminder of how we should strive to live daily. There are three components, each with a powerful message on how God calls us to live our life.
First, rejoice always. Some people would say it’s impossible to be happy all the time, so how can you always be rejoicing? However, I say there’s always something to be happy about. Even in what may seem like the hardest times of your life, if you look close enough, there’s always a positive you can find. It may be one small thing, but that’s still enough to hold onto and to use as your source of light to help you get through whatever challenges you’re facing.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Second, pray without ceasing. Again, people could argue how can someone pray non-stop? Or ‘I prayed a lot when I really needed something but nothing happened so I stopped praying.’ That’s not how prayer works. You have to pray daily, even if it’s only for 20 minutes, because God wants you to spend time with Him. He wants to hear your struggles, your joys, your fears. He already knows them all because He knows you better than you know yourself, but He wants you to rely on Him with faith and trusting that He’ll help you through your hardships. That’s why you can’t just pray when you need something and then stop. It takes time for prayers to be answered because God will answer on His time, not ours. He may also answer in a different way than you were expecting, but He will always answer you. Good things take time. God wants to give you the best if you’re willing to trust Him, have patience, and persevere in prayer.
Finally, give thanks in all circumstances. This has to be one of the most vital aspects. We always have to be grateful for whatever we’re going through because for some reason that is God’s will. He has something planned for you in the good times and in the bad times. And in the bad times we should be praying even more and spending more time with God, because only He can help us overcome the obstacles. So, in the bad times we should be even more grateful to God because he’s allowing us to grow closer to Him and grow in our faith.
Thoughts Of A Catholic Girl 