Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” As our hearts and minds are focused on God and His amazing power and love for us, we can make it through even the most difficult of circumstances. Martin Luther (1483-1546) wrote, “Pray without ceasing, because one must unceasingly guard against sin and wrong-doing, something one cannot do unless one fears God and keeps His commandment in mind, as Psalm 1 says, ‘Blessed is he who meditates upon his law day and night.'”
Isaiah 26:3 reminds us, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” When we take our focus off of God and put it on this world, we fall victim to our circumstances and the wisdom (or non-wisdom) of this world. To pray without ceasing means to have a consistent prayer life, each day, and many times through the day – pray and keep our minds focused on God and His Word. This is the only way to overcome the anxiety and fears that abound in this world.
The more time we spend in prayer, the more often we focus on God and His commandments, and the more we take our minds off the “affairs” of this life, the easier we will find it to “Rejoice Always…”