Many times we ponder what God's will is for our lives. Here, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes to the Thessalonians Christians to encourage them in their faith. One topic Paul addressed was the coming of The Lord. With that in mind, he writes some closing exhortations. One of those exhortations is the passage quoted above.
In the passage, believers are told that it is God's will for them to do three things. First, it is God's will for believers to rejoice. That does not mean that we are to live in a state of giddy denial. We are to rejoice in the knowledge that our suffering is temporary and our eternal reward is coming.
Second, it is God's will for believers to pray. We are to pray without ceasing. There is no vacation from our personal devotions to God in prayer.
Third, it is God's will for believers to give thanks to God. We are to thank Him in everything. Yes, even in bad circumstances. We can thank God because we know that He will work even bad circumstances out for our good. Those circumstances are part of God's good will for us, tools He will use to do a good work.
Rejoice that our salvation is sure in Jesus and that He is working all things for our good. Pray always, not to manipulate God, but to seek His perspective on the situation. Thank God for His salvation and His good work in your life.
