Advice you don’t want to hear but need to: #2

How do we achieve joy always?

Continual Prayer.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

“Wait, what? Prayer? You mean talking to God all day, every day?”

Yup, that’s exactly what I mean.

“That’s impossible. No one can pray all day. I have other things to do.”

Yup, I bet you do. But prayer doesn’t always mean folding your, hands bowing your head and saying “Dear God, you rock, gimme stuff.” No, prayer doesn’t have to be your formal idea of prayer (although that’s important too). Prayer is simply communication with God. So in essence, you are being told to “Communicate with God always.” That can mean a number of different things– talk to God as you go about your day, sing a song of praise, if you dance, dance in thanks of the Lord, if some dude cuts you off on the free way and it pisses you off, pray for him instead of cussing him out. Pray for yourself if you need to. Do whatever you have to do to simply communicate your thoughts, feelings, needs, desires, thanks and praise to the Lord–but remember to be respectful. Talking to God like He’s your homie is okay, but don’t forget that He is still God. He is still King and He can still smite your arrogant butt if He needs to.

Prayer is especially helpful when you are angry, frustrated, pissed off or simply don’t feel like it. Those are the best times to simply say “thanks.” As asinine as it seems, thanking the Lord in times of trouble is like ointment on a burn or cool water in the midst of a desert sandstorm. It is this kind of communication and connection with God that lets you know that in the midst of all your pain and troubles (the bills that won’t go away, the illness that’s eating your loved one alive, the job you dread, Mondays), that God is with you, the Creator of the Universe has got your back and that lets you have peace and joy in all situations.

Try it out. Especially when you don’t want to.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15).

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

“…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).