16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Paul. 1 Thess 5:16-18. Hi, it’s Nathan, and this is Day 4 of 30 Days of Prayer ‘Rejoice . . . Pray . . . Give thanks, for this is the will of God’ Perhaps you remember a time when you had this deep sense of joy and gratitude, just relaxing in conversation with a close friend. This is the shape of God’s dream for your relationship with him. Stop. Think about it. That’s really incredible. What would your life look like if it was defined by that kind of deep, trusting relationship with the Gentle Divine Monarch. Sound like fantasy? Actually, it’s quite possible—it’s God’s deepest desire for you. It’s the way Jesus lived. It’s what he was getting at when he talked about sparrows being thought about by God or hairs being counted(check it out in Matthew 6).
Such a way of doing life is not only possible, it is inevitable. Inevitable as we begin to know and believe the truth about who God really, truly is.
This intimate knowing comes as we take time to chat with him—to open our hearts to his love, presence and power. Might be first thing in the morning. Or maybe during a lunch break. Might even be some quiet time on your commute—or while we’re folding the laundry. Whenever it is, we can ask, ‘God, take me into your heart.’ Then reflect on Jesus’ story in the Gospels and how God’s shown up in your life.
