“He who loves the Lord, loves also the assemblies in which His name is adored.” Charles Spurgeon
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
While we often take these verses of Paul’s letter to be his counsel for our individual lives, they are better and more fully understood when we remember he was writing to the church. What better way to go to church this morning than to carry these words as a treasure in our hearts? Pray always and give thanks together, no matter what we are facing. These two will be the bookends that hold all the rest of our meeting together and are God’s best and highest desire for us as we gather together on His special day.
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Amen, Pete! The corporate nature of the bookends you mentioned hadn’t dawned on me. Paul wrote these words to a struggling church whose members were under intense pressure. Pray and give thanks—as a body of believers. Now that’s a big bookshelf! 🙏Blessings to you and yours this Lord’s day.
For me, the praying without ceasing part, has an entirely new light thrown on it.
It does shed new light, indeed. It’s easier for a whole church to pray without ceasing than it is for one person.
And the church has been praying for centuries!
Amen!