1. THE APOSTLE PAUL TO THE THESSALONIANS 1

2. A.THE EXHORTATION TO CONSTANT JOYFULNESS. “REJOICE ALWAYS. “ (5:16) 1.“ALWAYS” – CONSTANTLY. 2.EVEN WHEN DIFFICULTIES COME INTO YOUR LIFE. 3.IT’S A DIVINE MANDATE!! B.THE EXHORTATION TO CONSTANT PRAYERFULNESS. “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING;“ (5:17) 1.“PRAY” – IN SUBMISSION, CONFESSION, PETITION, INTERCESSION, PRAISE, AND THANKSGIVING. ”AND WHEN YOU PRAY, YOU MUST NOT BE LIKE THE HYPOCRITES. FOR THEY LOVE TO STAND AND PRAY IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND AT THE STREET CORNERS, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN BY OTHERS. TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEIR REWARD. “ (MATT. 6:6) 2

3. BUT WHEN YOU PRAY, GO INTO YOUR ROOM AND SHUT THE DOOR AND PRAY TO YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN SECRET. AND YOUR FATHER WHO SEES IN SECRET WILL REWARD YOU.” (MATT. 6:5-6) “BUT HE WOULD WITHDRAW HIMSELF INTO THE WILDERNESS AND PRAYED. (LIKE 5:16) “LIKEWISE THE SPIRIT HELPS US IN OUR WEAKNESS. FOR WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO PRAY FOR AS WE OUGHT, BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US WITH GROANINGS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS. “ (ROM. 8:26) “AND SO, FROM THE DAY WE HEARD, WE HAVE NOT CEASED TO PRAY FOR YOU, ASKING THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL IN ALL SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, “ (COL. 1:9) 3

4. ” IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SUFFERING? LET HIM PRAY. IS ANYONE CHEERFUL? LET HIM SING PRAISE. IS ANYONE AMONG YOU SICK? LET HIM CALL FOR THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH, AND LET THEM PRAY OVER HIM, ANOINTING HIM WITH OIL IN THE NAME OF THE LORD. “ (JAS. 5:13-14) “CONFESS YOUR FAULTS ONE TO ANOTHER, AND PRAY ONE FOR ANOTHER, THAT YE MAY BE HEALED. THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH. “ (JAS. 5:16) 2.“WITHOUT CEASING” – CONSTANT; AS A WAY OF LIFE, i.e., IN A CONTINUAL ATTITUDE OF PRAYER. 3.IT’S A DIVINE MANDATE!! 4.IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU NEED TO BE KNEELING OR HAVE YOUR EYES CLOSED, e.g., DRIVING, MEIJERS, TV, ETC. 4

5. 5.CONSIDER HOW FAITHFULLY JESUS PRAYED DURING HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY. “AND AFTER HE HAD DISMISSED THE CROWDS, HE WENT UP ON THE MOUNTAIN BY HIMSELF TO PRAY. “ (MATT. 14:23) “AND RISING VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, HE DEPARTED AND WENT OUT TO A SOLITARY PLACE, AND THERE HE PRAYED. “ (MARK 1:35) “NOW IT HAPPENED THAT AS HE WAS PRAYING ALONE, “ (LUKE 9:18) “WHEN JESUS HAD SPOKEN THESE WORDS, HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, AND SAID, "FATHER, THE HOUR HAS COME; GLORIFY YOUR SON THAT THE SON MAY GLORIFY YOU.... I AM PRAYING FOR THEM. I AM NOT PRAYING FOR THE WORLD BUT FOR THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, FOR THEY ARE YOURS. I DO NOT ASK THAT YOU TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD, BUT THAT YOU KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE.” (JOHN 17:1-26) 5

6. 6.JESUS PRAYED WITH INTENSITY. “AND HE WITHDREW FROM THEM ABOUT A STONE'S THROW, AND KNELT DOWN AND PRAYED,.... AND BEING IN AN AGONY HE PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY; AND HIS SWEAT BECAME LIKE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD FALLING DOWN TO THE GROUND. “ (LUKE 22:41, 44) “AND RISING VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, WHILE IT WAS STILL DARK, HE DEPARTED AND WENT OUT TO A DESOLATE PLACE, AND THERE HE PRAYED. “ (MARK 1:35) “NOW IT HAPPENED THAT AS HE WAS PRAYING ALONE, “ (LUKE 9:18) “WHEN JESUS HAD SPOKEN THESE WORDS, HE LIFTED UP HIS EYES TO HEAVEN, AND SAID, "FATHER, THE HOUR HAS COME; GLORIFY YOUR SON THAT THE SON MAY GLORIFY YOU.... I AM PRAYING FOR THEM. I AM NOT PRAYING FOR THE WORLD BUT FOR THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, FOR THEY ARE YOURS.” (JOHN 17:1-26) 6