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Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Why does the Bible say, "pray without ceasing" and "give thanks in all circumstances?" If Jesus repeatedly tells us to pray constantly, it must be significant. If Jesus says give thanks in all things, it must be important.
A few weeks ago my horse, Sky Fire, injured her hoof, leading to lameness. I was so disheartened when I learned of it because we'd been making amazing progress in our training. Even though I wished that this never would have occurred, I was thankful that God allows good things to come out of our suffering. He hears our every cry. Throughout the last month, my sister and I have had to bandage Sky's hoof and give her additional care. Although many of us may look at that as a bad thing, it isn't so terrible. Sky and I have grown our friendship immensely during this time. That is the goodness of God. He wants us to bear fruit from the fire. He wants us to stand firm in faith, knowing that He will complete the work that He started in us.
Romans 5:3b-4 "...but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"
My prayer life has failed on many levels. Often times it is turbulent, and other times it is steadfast. But through it all we must realize that God gave us prayer for our sake. When we look to and give Christ our burden, it becomes light in the light of His glory. It reminds me of the hymn, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." Here are a few of the lyrics:
"Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace
Oh soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior And life more abundant and free
Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His glory and grace"
Mhm. SO GOOD! When you stare at the sunrise, you are no longer reminded of the mountain in front of it. In the same way, when we look to Jesus we are no longer focusing on the burdens we bear.
My friend, life is unbearably hard sometimes. We pack our schedules too tight, forget birthdays, take final exams, get sick, lose a loved one, and drag ourselves to the dirt with business. But praise Jesus, He is with us through it all! He causes good out of bad!
Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen."
The reason why Jesus deems thanksgiving and prayer as a significant ritual is because through it, He grants us His peace. He guards our hearts and minds through the power of Himself. God does not want us to live in fear of tomorrow. He wants us to rejoice, knowing that He is the reason we can have peace. Prayer is vital in order for us to live in peace and be constantly reminded of the gospel.
Please reach out to us at our email (thejoysblog@gmail.com) or on Instagram (thejoysblog). We would love to know how we can best pray for you! Let us know if you learned anything from this post and how God is working in your life.