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1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Practicing His Presence - Being in Constant Communion with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT) Never stop 
praying, 

COMMENTARY PEARLS

   You will never develop a close 
relationship with God by just attending church once a 
week or even by just having a daily quiet time. 
Friendship with God is built by sharing all your life 
experiences with him. 
   Of course it is important to establish 
the habit of a daily devotional time with God, 
but God wants more than an appointment in your 
schedule. He wants to be included in every activity, 
every conversation, every problem, and even every 
thought. 
   You can carry on a continuous, open-ended 
conversation with God throughout your day, talking with 
him about whatever you are doing or thinking at 
that moment. The habit of praying without 
ceasing from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 means conversing 
with God while shopping, driving, working, or 
performing any other everyday task. 
   A common misconception is that 
spending time with God means being alone with him. 
Of course, as Jesus modeled, you need time 
alone with God, but that is only a fraction of 
your waking hours. Everything you do can be 
spending time with God if he is invited to be a 
part of it and you stay aware of his presence. 
   The classic book on learning how to 
develop a constant conversation with God is 
Practicing the Presence of God, written in the 17th 
century by Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a 
French monastery. Brother Lawrence was able to turn 
even the most commonplace and menial tasks - like 
preparing meals and washing dishes - into acts of 
praise and communion with God. 
   The key to friendship with God, he said, 
is not changing what you do, but changing your 
attitude toward what you do. What you normally do for 
yourself, you begin doing for God, whether it is 
eating, bathing, working, relaxing, or taking out 
the trash. 
   Today we often feel we must get 
away from our daily routine in order to worship 
God, but that is only because we havent 
learned to practice his presence all the time. 
Brother Lawrence found it easy to worship God 
through the common tasks of life; he didnt have 
to go away for special spiritual retreats. 
   This is Gods ideal. In Eden, worship 
was not an event to attend, but a perpetual 
attitude; Adam and Eve were in constant communion with 
God. Since God is with you all the time, no place 
is any closer to God than the place where you 
are right now. The Bible says, He rules 
everything and is everywhere and is in everything 
(Ephesians 4:6 NCV). [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

   What does it really mean to pray without 
ceasing? Does it mean we chant at the wailing wall in 
Jerusalem? Or is it more like the meditative murmurs of 
a cloistered nun? I used to think that was the 
picture of devoted prayer. Today, it looks like 
constant, humble reliance on Jesus. 
   I confess, I'm not much for humble 
dependence. I much prefer confident self-reliance. But 
when I consider my place as a daughter of the 
Almighty, I recognize the luxury of this privilege. I 
can consult the God of the universe as I go 
about my day. To gain strength at the weak point, 
solutions to problems, or just the grace to wait. Why 
wouldn't I pray without ceasing? 
   Over time, I've gotten better at praying 
throughout the day, consulting my epic Life Coach, 
praying and praising at milestone moments. But truly 
praying without ceasing has seemed utterly 
unattainable, some ideal truly reserved for only the most 
holy. 
   Lately, though, I've realized that 
praying without ceasing is attainable with a few 
hard-for-me but not impossible guidelines. I can apply 
some principles captured in the seminal Christian 
book Practicing the Presence of God. Bottom line: 
Slow down. Slow way down, and see and seek Jesus 
in everyone and everything. 
   If I take my day task by task, moment by 
moment, it is far easier to consult Him continually. 
Jesus is, paradoxically, most accessible in the 
small moments of the day, speaking into the 
silence of deliberate practice. by Isabella Yosuico 
   Faith Step: Just for today, slow down 
enough to consciously seek Jesus in the unfolding 
of every task. Whether changing a diaper, 
balancing a budget, or running, consider practicing 
being in the presence of God. [Mornings With Jesus 
2019 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE


http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190707-1009.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs