A Matter Of The Heart

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Where does your heart live? That's the key thought in these verses. It's about where we spend the most time with our hearts, what we allow our minds to dwell on when we are free to think about whatever we want to.

Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present? You can learn to enjoy and depend on His presence with you. Is He the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs? Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy or you feel that everything is going okay?

One of the things that God desires for all of His children is joy. He said that He wants your joy to be full. He wants you to constantly and consistently experience His joy. That joy comes from knowing you are never alone. Friends may desert you and even close family members may let you down, but God will never leave you nor will He forsake you. He says in His Word that those who put their trust in Him will never be disappointed. If you are disappointed it is because you have put your trust in the wrong person and your faith in the wrong place.

Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have with God. It is Spirit to Spirit, child to Abba, human with God. It does not have to be a hidden away place or in a silent surrounding, it can be in the midst of a busy office, around a group of friends or while driving in rush hour traffic. Prayer is simply communication with God. As in any other type of conversation, you talk awhile and listen awhile. Don’t make prayer out to be hard, it is as natural as talking to your best friend.

Thanksgiving and joy are the great reminders that we have been blessed no matter what the outward circumstances imply.