"Never stop praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17

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"Never stop praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17
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If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from <a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Daily Devotions From Greg Laurie

1 THESSALONIANS 5:17: Never stop praying.

Confident Praying | 1 Thessalonians 5:17

‘Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.’ (Revelation 22:12 NLT)

There were a lot of people who missed the first Christmas, the night that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Of course, there were no the telltale signs that we have today. There were no Christmas carols, brightly colored lights, or sales at the local market.

Yet the first Christmas had its own signs that were being fulfilled before the eyes of the people, because the Hebrew prophets had foretold the arrival of a Savior. However, in the twenty-first century, we would be hard-pressed to miss Christmas. We can’t miss the fact that Christmas is upon us.

People today have a better idea of how to prepare for a Christmas celebration than how to prepare for the return of Jesus Christ. But Jesus Christ, who was born in the manger in Bethlehem, who was crucified on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead, is coming back again. And we don’t want to miss that.

He came right on schedule the first time, and He will come right on schedule the second time.

Jesus said, “Yes, I am coming soon!” (Revelation 22:20 NLT). And the answer of the true Christian will always be, along with the apostle John, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” What’s more, anything that would prevent us from saying the same thing is out of place in our lives.

We are not only to be waiting, but we are also to be working. Jesus said, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward” (Luke 12:42–43 NLT).

If watching is the evidence of faith, then working is the evidence of faith in action. Watching for the Lord’s return will help us prepare our own lives, but working will assure that we bring others with us. We should be serving the Lord and looking for opportunities to engage people and tell them about Jesus.

Jesus also said, “The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!” (verse 37 NLT). The word blessed could be translated as “happy.”

Looking for the return of Christ isn’t a miserable, repressive, confining way to live. It’s a happy, joyful, and purposeful way to live.

Christmas is coming. The signs are all around us. Of course, Christmas will come, and Christmas will go. And before long, we’ll forget about the gifts that we received. But Jesus Christ is coming back again. People missed the first Christmas. But we don’t want to miss it when Jesus Christ comes back again. He is coming for those who are watching and waiting.

So, don’t just be ready for Christmas. Be ready for Christ Himself. It is not about Christmas presents; it’s about His holy presence in our lives.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

&lsquo;Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.&rsquo; (Revelation 22:12 NLT)
There were a lot of people who missed the first Christmas, the night that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem. Of course, there were no the telltale signs that we have today. There were no Christmas carols, brightly colored lights, or sales at the local market.
Yet the first Christmas had its own signs that were being fulfilled before the eyes of the people, because the Hebrew prophets had foretold the arrival of a Savior. However, in the twenty-first century, we would be hard-pressed to miss Christmas. We can&rsquo;t miss the fact that Christmas is upon us.
People today have a better idea of how to prepare for a Christmas celebration than how to prepare for the return of Jesus Christ. But Jesus Christ, who was born in the manger in Bethlehem, who was crucified on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead, is coming back again. And we don&rsquo;t want to miss that.
He came right on schedule the first time, and He will come right on schedule the second time.
Jesus said, &ldquo;Yes, I am coming soon!&rdquo; (Revelation 22:20 NLT). And the answer of the true Christian will always be, along with the apostle John, &ldquo;Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!&rdquo; What&rsquo;s more, anything that would prevent us from saying the same thing is out of place in our lives.
We are not only to be waiting, but we are also to be working. Jesus said, &ldquo;A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward&rdquo; (Luke 12:42&ndash;43 NLT).
If watching is the evidence of faith, then working is the evidence of faith in action. Watching for the Lord&rsquo;s return will help us prepare our own lives, but working will assure that we bring others with us. We should be serving the Lord and looking for opportunities to engage people and tell them about Jesus.
Jesus also said, &ldquo;The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat!&rdquo; (verse 37 NLT). The word blessed could be translated as &ldquo;happy.&rdquo;
Looking for the return of Christ isn&rsquo;t a miserable, repressive, confining way to live. It&rsquo;s a happy, joyful, and purposeful way to live.
Christmas is coming. The signs are all around us. Of course, Christmas will come, and Christmas will go. And before long, we&rsquo;ll forget about the gifts that we received. But Jesus Christ is coming back again. People missed the first Christmas. But we don&rsquo;t want to miss it when Jesus Christ comes back again. He is coming for those who are watching and waiting.
So, don&rsquo;t just be ready for Christmas. Be ready for Christ Himself. It is not about Christmas presents; it&rsquo;s about His holy presence in our lives.
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

We should be looking for opportunities to tell people about Jesus.

Not Presents, But His Presence | Revelation 22:12

What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? (Psalm 116:12 NLT)

The psalmist David asked, “What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?” Then he goes on to say, “I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord’s name for saving me” (Psalm 116:12–13 NLT).

One of the most well-known stories in the Bible is that of the wise men who came to visit the child Jesus. There’s a lot of misunderstanding about this story, however. For example, they have been called kings, but we really don’t know that they were. The Bible calls them magi, which is closely related to the word magician.

These men were advisers to the king and more like king makers than actual kings. They were very powerful. They studied the stars and were into astronomy and astrology. These were pagan men who did not believe in the Lord God of Israel. So, God came to them in a way they would understand.

He went to these stargazers, these magi, with a star. And that star brought them to the child Jesus, who had already been born. First they came through Jerusalem, where they met the paranoid King Herod. They told him they had come to worship the King of the Jews.

Then they found their way to Bethlehem. Matthew tells us, “The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:9–11 NLT).

They came to worship the newborn King. And how did they express their worship? Verse 11 tells us, “They opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (NLT). They didn’t give Jesus their leftovers. They were meeting the living King, and only the best would do.

Sometimes in the church we limit the word worship. In a church service, we often call our time of singing our “worship time.” Then when the singing is done, we say it’s time for Bible study. But hearing a Bible study is also an act of worship, just as giving an offering is. Leaving the church building and sharing our faith with someone is an act of worship as well.

Serving others is an act of worship. In Billy Graham’s home, there was a sign near the kitchen sink that read, “Divine service done here three times daily.” Even doing the dishes can be an act of worship. So, let’s not limit our worship to singing.

At Christmas we celebrate God’s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, to us. There’s nothing that we ever could give to God that would be even close to being equal to the gift that God has given to us. But there are things we can do for Him to show our thanks.

When someone gives us a nice gift, we say thank you. If someone does something for us, we say thank you. In the same way, God has given us this amazing gift. So, we should say, “Thank you, Lord.”

The real happiness we are looking for is not in Christmas; it is in Christ. It comes from His presence in our lives.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me? (Psalm 116:12 NLT)
The psalmist David asked, &ldquo;What can I offer the Lord for all he has done for me?&rdquo; Then he goes on to say, &ldquo;I will lift up the cup of salvation and praise the Lord&rsquo;s name for saving me&rdquo; (Psalm 116:12&ndash;13 NLT).
One of the most well-known stories in the Bible is that of the wise men who came to visit the child Jesus. There&rsquo;s a lot of misunderstanding about this story, however. For example, they have been called kings, but we really don&rsquo;t know that they were. The Bible calls them magi, which is closely related to the word magician.
These men were advisers to the king and more like king makers than actual kings. They were very powerful. They studied the stars and were into astronomy and astrology. These were pagan men who did not believe in the Lord God of Israel. So, God came to them in a way they would understand.
He went to these stargazers, these magi, with a star. And that star brought them to the child Jesus, who had already been born. First they came through Jerusalem, where they met the paranoid King Herod. They told him they had come to worship the King of the Jews.
Then they found their way to Bethlehem. Matthew tells us, &ldquo;The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him&rdquo; (Matthew 2:9&ndash;11 NLT).
They came to worship the newborn King. And how did they express their worship? Verse 11 tells us, &ldquo;They opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh&rdquo; (NLT). They didn&rsquo;t give Jesus their leftovers. They were meeting the living King, and only the best would do.
Sometimes in the church we limit the word worship. In a church service, we often call our time of singing our &ldquo;worship time.&rdquo; Then when the singing is done, we say it&rsquo;s time for Bible study. But hearing a Bible study is also an act of worship, just as giving an offering is. Leaving the church building and sharing our faith with someone is an act of worship as well.
Serving others is an act of worship. In Billy Graham&rsquo;s home, there was a sign near the kitchen sink that read, &ldquo;Divine service done here three times daily.&rdquo; Even doing the dishes can be an act of worship. So, let&rsquo;s not limit our worship to singing.
At Christmas we celebrate God&rsquo;s gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, to us. There&rsquo;s nothing that we ever could give to God that would be even close to being equal to the gift that God has given to us. But there are things we can do for Him to show our thanks.
When someone gives us a nice gift, we say thank you. If someone does something for us, we say thank you. In the same way, God has given us this amazing gift. So, we should say, &ldquo;Thank you, Lord.&rdquo;
The real happiness we are looking for is not in Christmas; it is in Christ. It comes from His presence in our lives.
&mdash;
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Happiness isn’t Christmas; it’s Christ.

Start with Thank You | Psalm 116:12

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)

There are gifts that you may receive this year that soon will be out of date or out of fashion. Some gifts, however, only grow in value over time. Maybe it’s a family heirloom that you received a long time ago, and it has become even more precious to you now.

God has given us a gift, and it never goes out of style. It’s the gift of all gifts: salvation. If you are a Christian, then you already carry this gift in your heart. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).

While this gift brings with it the hope of Heaven and the hope of eternal life, there are aspects of it that we can enjoy now. One of them is justification. The Bible says, “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).

The word justify has a twofold meaning. First, it carries the idea of the forgiveness of all our sin. Maybe you’ve been mulling over your sin and you’re troubled by it. If you have asked God to forgive you of that sin and have repented of it, then He has forgiven you.

God has forgiven you of every sin that you have confessed and turned from. Accept that. Often we dig up those sins, go over them again and again, and beat ourselves up over them. Yet God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:12 NLT).

Here’s what we need to know: We should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget. God has forgiven our sins. That is part of the gift that God has given to each of us. But there is also the positive side of justification.

When God justifies us, He places the righteousness of Christ in our account. That balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We are declared righteous. This is not a gradual process; it’s something that happens immediately when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.

And there is even more. Not only has God justified us, not only has He forgiven our sins and placed the righteousness of Christ into our account, but He also has adopted us into His family.

By adopting us, God is saying, “Don’t merely stand in awe of Me. Come close to Me. I want you to be My child. You have access to Me anytime.” What a great joy to know that we have been adopted into God’s family.

If all there was as a Christian was this life we have now with Jesus, it still would be worth it to be a Christian. But that isn’t all there is. It will get even better. The afterlife will be better than the “before life.” The best is yet to come.

That is God’s gift to you. Open it. Enjoy it. Love it.

—

Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast

Become a Harvest Partner

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT)
There are gifts that you may receive this year that soon will be out of date or out of fashion. Some gifts, however, only grow in value over time. Maybe it’s a family heirloom that you received a long time ago, and it has become even more precious to you now.
God has given us a gift, and it never goes out of style. It’s the gift of all gifts: salvation. If you are a Christian, then you already carry this gift in your heart. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).
While this gift brings with it the hope of Heaven and the hope of eternal life, there are aspects of it that we can enjoy now. One of them is justification. The Bible says, “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1 NLT).
The word justify has a twofold meaning. First, it carries the idea of the forgiveness of all our sin. Maybe you’ve been mulling over your sin and you’re troubled by it. If you have asked God to forgive you of that sin and have repented of it, then He has forgiven you.
God has forgiven you of every sin that you have confessed and turned from. Accept that. Often we dig up those sins, go over them again and again, and beat ourselves up over them. Yet God says, “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (Hebrews 8:12 NLT).
Here’s what we need to know: We should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget. God has forgiven our sins. That is part of the gift that God has given to each of us. But there is also the positive side of justification.
When God justifies us, He places the righteousness of Christ in our account. That balances the moral and spiritual budget for us. We are declared righteous. This is not a gradual process; it’s something that happens immediately when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.
And there is even more. Not only has God justified us, not only has He forgiven our sins and placed the righteousness of Christ into our account, but He also has adopted us into His family.
By adopting us, God is saying, “Don’t merely stand in awe of Me. Come close to Me. I want you to be My child. You have access to Me anytime.” What a great joy to know that we have been adopted into God’s family.
If all there was as a Christian was this life we have now with Jesus, it still would be worth it to be a Christian. But that isn’t all there is. It will get even better. The afterlife will be better than the “before life.” The best is yet to come.
That is God’s gift to you. Open it. Enjoy it. Love it.
—
<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/A1PWfZ8W">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

Confident Praying | 1 Thessalonians 5:17

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