1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This verse was in my devotions this morning, and it really made me think. God has really been showing me a lot about His will recently and what He wants in my life. This verse shows me what His will exactly is.

Be joyful always. Not just when it is easy, and not just when you feel like it. But always. I know that is hard sometimes. There are days when I just don't feel like being happy or joyful. But God commands us to forget about that, and always have joy. After all, look at everything He has given us that we can be happy about. Pray continually. It is so easy to get into the habit of just praying before a meal or before bed. God wants us to always be praying though. Our lives should be a constant conversation with Him. Give thanks in all circumstances. That is a tough one. A lot of circumstances we are not very thankful for, but God put us in certain situations for a reason. We should always be thankful for those circumstances, even when its hard.

I certainly struggle with applying this verse in all areas of my life, but I am learning. And I am excited to live out God's will in my life.

(Please keep the family of a young student in youth group in your prayers. His father passed away suddenly Friday night. We are praying for Gods comfort to this family during this time.)