Paul's Letter to the Thessalonians

 

In his first letter to the Thessalonians Paul says:

"Rejoice at all times. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus". 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 onwards.

Let us examine what he says further.

Rejoice at all times: I see so many people in church on their knees praying yet their faces look like a mile of bad road. It is as if they are carrying the whole world on their shoulders. Being charitable for a moment, I know that life is not always a bed of roses and that sometimes we all go through bad times. Yet, having said this, I see too many Christian people with sad faces all the time. Is this really a good advert for our faith? Is this what we would like others to think of Christianity when they see us? 

Pray without ceasing: I don't think Paul is suggesting that we pray 24/7 from the moment we wake up. Life is not meant to be spent on our knees and when we get to meet Peter at the Pearly Gates I doubt that he will check if we have callous knees like a camel's. Life is to be enjoyed and it is not an endurance test in preparation for the next. Remember "Rejoice at all times".

Paul is reminding us here to be in constant communication with God. We wake up in the morning and thank Him for another day and that we survived the night. When we're preparing breakfast we thank Him that we have enough to meet our daily needs and that of our family. As we travel to work, or wherever, we thank Him and ask Him to keep us safe. When we meet someone who tells us of their difficulties and problems we say a silent prayer for that person.

That's what Paul means by praying without ceasing. To be in constant contact with God throughout the day. And to be receptive when He speaks to us.

Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus: Whatever happens in life, no matter how bad and difficult the situation, we should thank and praise God for it. We are not thanking and praising Him for the bad situation itself, but we are doing so because we acknowledge that He is still in control. Whatever the situation, we thank Him for being in control.

By doing so, we somehow open a channel whereby God turns the bad situation to the good; for us or for someone else. Maybe someone sees how we tackle the bad situation and somehow our example brings them closer to God. Perhaps our situation changes us for the better in some way. When we praise God for being in control of every situation He will often turn it to the good. I have seen this many times.

How do you pray?

 

How do you pray? 

Do you pray sitting down on a chair? Lying down in bed? On your knees beside the bed, or in front of a Crucifix or a statue? Do you pray as you go out for a walk? Or at your desk whilst working, or blogging, or when you're knitting or doing household chores? Or when out in the garden?

How do you pray?

Do you repeat prayers you learnt when young? The Our Father perhaps? Or other prayers like the Hail Mary, the Magnificat? The Credo, The Rosary or whatever else you have been encouraged to pray?

Do you ask God for help and favours? Do you pray for certain people? Auntie Elma, or Gertrude? Or Uncle Jim? Or Cousin This or That? Do you pray for your children and others dear to you?

Do you make deals with God? If You do this for me Lord, I'll light a candle. Or I will not drink or smoke or ... for a certain period.

How do you pray?

Or more to the point. How should you pray? What does God expect of us in prayers?

I'm no expert on this, but I guess that as a loving Father, God expects us to talk to Him. How many of you have longed and wondered how long it will be before your children phone you, or write to you, or text you even? Just a short text to say "Hello!" That's all you want.

I guess God wants the same. A quick "Good Morning" when you wake up to welcome Him in your life as you welcome a new day. A "Good Night" when you go to sleep.

He likes to hear how you're getting on in life. He knows of course how you're getting on; but it is nice to tell Him all the same. It's a good conversation starter. Tell Him and thank Him for the good things that are happening to you. We often forget to thank Him. 

Let Him know when things are not going so smoothly; or are going really bad for you. That's exactly what you did as a child when you got hurt and went crying to your Mom or Dad.

Let God, your Heavenly Father, know that things are not going so well. Ask Him for help. Do not tell Him what to do; but trust Him that He will do what is best for you. When you were a child you did not go running to your parents telling them what to do. You were hurt. You cried. They knew what to do and did their best for you. So will God. In His time and in His way He will do what is good for you. Just trust Him. As you trusted your parents.

It is OK ... sometimes ... to get angry and upset with God. To tell it as it is. He can take our tantrums. After all, He took all our anger when hanging on the Cross. He'd rather we are honest in our prayers and say how we feel. To tell Him we are at our wit's end. We don't know what else to do and our very faith and trust are being tested. 

He'll understand our cry for help. And He will respond. Just as He responded in times of old, and when Jesus walked this earth and helped many people in need. He will respond as He responded over the years and will continue to do so for ever.

He will respond with love. With care. With compassion and pity. And also with understanding.

Life can be hard at times ... or often. I seem to be always asking God for something or another. Either for me or for some family member or friend or acquaintance or even you my readers.

I'm always asking God for something.

If I were God I would probably give up on me.

Thank God I am not.

Prayer ... what prayer does God want?

In a confused and perhaps at times desperate world, it is not surprising that many Christians don't know how, and maybe disagree on how, to pray.

We all know how Jesus taught us to pray. But even that prayer has over the years been superseded and supplemented by a lot of other prayers, pleadings and hymns to give God and all His Saints an almighty headache. Different people prefer different ways to pray. Some say the Lord's Prayer and believe that it is enough. Others add other prayers they have learnt when young or in church. Others prefer to just talk to God, and maybe give Him advice on what He should do, rather than spend some quiet time listening to His voice.

Prayer seems to have become like a product we choose from the supermarket with each person having their favourite style or brand.

As a Catholic I am not a stranger to the many people who repeat the Rosary over and over again, or recite many litanies and novenas to the Saints, or have many prayers addressed to favourite Saints for special favours and/or miracles.

I can't help wondering. Is that what God really wants?

Does He really want us to repeat prayers that we have learn by heart over and again?

Does He want us to plead over and over again please ... please ... pretty please ... with sugar on top.

Does He want us to promise that if He does what we ask we will light a candle in church?

Does God really want or care for our candles? Or our offerings of more prayers or donations to this or that charity if only He does as we ask?

God cannot be bought.

He does not need our bribes in order to respond to our prayers. Neither does He want us to beg like dogs for His favours.

We are told, and I believe, that He is a loving God. A Creator and a Father, as Jesus describes Him often.

Jesus spoke about the love of a father towards His children when He said, "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

What Christ is teaching here is that God, our loving Father, knows what we need and will supply our needs in good time. Including His Holy Spirit - if we ask.

How we pray is important. I personally don't believe in repetitious prayers like the Rosary but accept and respect that some people find comfort in such prayers. Indeed, I have recited the Rosary a few times in the past.

But having said that, I believe the most effective prayer is that of silence. Just sitting there in silence is a prayer in itself. And I don't mean sitting there in front of the TV watching Dowton Abbey or the football! That's not a prayer; it is just watching TV.

Sitting in silence, perhaps thanking God for our lives as it is, however difficult it might be at the moment, is a prayer in itself.

As long as we are honest and express our true feelings, even feelings of apprehension, fear or despair, we should believe that God who knows everything will know what is on our mind without us uttering a word.

A silent prayer of trust is all He asks from us.

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