Be Joyful Always; Pray Continually; Give Thanks in All Circumstances

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV

Introduction: Today, many people are suffering from concern, anxiety, frustration, and depression, because they are faced with difficult situations, and are stressed more than ever under all circumstances. Depression is an illness of the mind, and its pain is beyond description. It is as painful as the physical disease in our bodies. Many people commit suicide in order to be set free from this severe pain.


1. Be joyful always (Phil 4:4).
1) This is God’s command.
- Rejoice and be glad because you have the love of God, the grace of Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (2Co 6:10; Isa 35:10; Ps 16:11).
2) Confess to yourselves that you are happy.
① Speak.
② Think.
③ Dream - Imagine people laughing with great joy.
④ Laugh loudly.
⑤ Meet joyful people (Phil 4:1).


2. Pray continually.
1) Holding our breath for four minutes will put our lives at risk.
2) If we stop praying, our spirits will wither (Mt 26:41).
- Around 75 percent of Korean pastors, three out of four pastors, pray less than one hour a day (Kukmin Daily newspaper, March 12, 2009).
3) Pray regularly and pray every moment.
- A cook in a monastery became its chief of monks, because he prayed every moment (Ro 12:12).
4) Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests (Eph 6:18; 1Co 14:15).
5) Prayer is conversation with God. The depth of our relationship with God varies according to how much time we spend in prayer (1Co 2:11; Col 4:2).?


3. Give thanks in all circumstances.
1) God’s love, the grace of Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit (2Co 1:3-5).
2) The Fivefold Gospel.
3) God gives us hope, faith in our dreams, and a positive mind-set.
4) Every promise in the Bible (Ro 4:21).


4. The power of thanksgiving.
? Paul and Silas were singing hymns in a Philippian prison (Ac 16:25-26).
1) The foundations of the earth were shaken.
2) Everybody's chains came loose.
3) All the prison doors flew open (Ps 50:23).


Conclusion: In order to be free from a negative mind and depression, we should be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. This is God's way of healing.