ALWAYS - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  Do not quench the Spirit. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

Summary: Three absolute imperatives (do this and always this) followed by a why (because this is the will) and a series of prepositions of the Trinity around us (of God, in Christ, by the Spirit, for you).

In our seemingly impossible quest to be always joyful, thankful and prayerful, we are surrounded by the Trinity!  This is why we pray: because it is God's will for us, because we have the salvation of  Jesus, and because the Spirit surrounds us.

But we are given another lesson here, teaching us how we can pray joyfully and thankfully about everything.  There is another interconnected trinity in these verses.  How can we be joyful? Through prayer and thanksgiving.  How do we pray?  By appreciating what we have and being joyful about it.  And how do we appreciate?  By praying about everything and turning it into joy.

But how do we do this constantly, endlessly and boundlessly?  It will not be easy, and maybe we will be partial and imperfect for now, but we must not quench the spirit!

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In the spirit of thanksgiving, before we go further, here is my personal note of thanks: To God before all else, but also thanks to those through whom God works.  To my father and mother, who laid the foundations of my faith. To Joshua Lee, who sparked the first journal fires in me in 1990, encouraging me in my college campus days to pray and write daily. To Pastor Gordon Cavers, who included 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in a list of key verses for his confirmation class; who asked me to volunteer, out of my comfort zone, to be a huddle group leader for that class; and who taught us all.  To all the students of that class of 2012, each of whom chose a verse to memorize and one of whom led me to read and reread this one.  To all of Grace Lutheran Church in Libertyville, my home church and family.  To my children, Kirsten and Andrew, and all of the family around them. To Pastor Matthew Smith-Laubenstein, who led a bible study on prayer in 2017 and taught us to pray with purpose.  To Christine Brown, who attended that study and, at the end of it, gave us all journals to write in and a list of prayer verses to turn to.  To Melanie Moore, who inspired Christine and many others by posting on Pinterest, "What Does the Bible Say About Prayer, 31 Day Scripture Writing Challenge." To Jim Kemp, who from the time of that bible study became a regular prayer partner.  To my brother Dan, who supplied one poem in this journal and who regularly encourages me to write and to focus on faith.  To the memory of my brother Josh, who lived in the premise of Emmanuel.  To Lena Brandis and Paul Lurenz, who asked me to read I Corinthians 13 at their wedding last year. To Melissa and Mike Kinney, who asked my girlfriend Cara, soon to be my fiance and wife, to read the same passage at their wedding.  To Cara, for all of your love and joy and kindness.

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For we know only in part ...but when the complete comes the partial will come to an end. - 1 Corinthians 13:9-10

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Dear God, I pray according to your will, in my salvation through Christ and by the power of your Spirit within me, with a joy that is constant if I allow it, with a prayer that is as endless as I want it to be, and with thankfulness for all that you are.  Help me, Lord, to never quench the Spirit. Help me, Lord, to keep this prayer going.

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