Tag: 1 Thessalonians 5

LET US PRAY FOR 2026

The Word of God within the Holy Bible gives us amazing guidance on prayer, instructing us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It also says the following:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

“I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.” (First Timothy 2:1-2)

So, I’d like to offer the following extended prayer that I wrote for the New Year ahead:

Brothers and sisters in Christ, LET US PRAY for this Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Twenty-Six…

Almighty and wonder-full God, we give you our thanks for your all-encompassing Presence as the One Source of all that is, both seen and unseen. We also give you thanks and praise for the birth, life, teachings, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. O God, in you we live, move and have our being, and by your grace in Christ we receive eternal consolation, assurance, wholeness and renewal.

As you are the Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit), you are in charge and you lead the way. You never leave us nor forsake us, and your steadfast love endures forever. Whether we live or die, in this life or the next, we are in your hands. You lead us, O Lord our God, on paths we do not yet know. There is a tomorrow we cannot see, and there are bends in the road we cannot know. But we know you will faithfully lead us according to your plan and purpose, because you are the Faithful One.

In this merciless world, you give mercy. In this graceless world, you give us grace upon grace. By your grace, we live a God-conscious life, which is a daily relationship of moment-by-moment dialogue with you and trust in you, no matter what happens or doesn’t happen. And by your grace, we follow you and abide in you. What amazing peace and joy you grant us!!!

And in response to your unlimited grace and steadfast love, we live lives of worship, prayer, Holy Scripture study, tenderheartedness, lovingkindness, hospitality and charity. Help us, therefore, to use times of crisis as opportunities for serving those in need and sharing your truth in love. And in times of adversity, we pray that you will draw us closer to you all the more.

O God, the great “I Am” of the Holy Scriptures, we pray these things in the saving name of Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The grace and peace of Christ be with you all in 2026!!! Pastor Tim

JESUS, HELP US

We know that Muslims observe formal prayer five times a day, and we know that Christian monks and nuns observe formal prayer seven times a day, and we know that ancient Christian tradition calls upon every follower of Christ to pray the Lord’s Prayer three times each day (morning, midday and evening). However, the Word of God within the Holy Bible invites Christians to “pray without ceasing” every single day, 365 days a year:

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not extinguish the Spirit.”

(First Thessalonians 5:16-19)

Of course, this is not strictly referring to formal prayer time where we take a few quiet meditative minutes in our day to center ourselves on Christ, but it’s mostly referring to the informal continual conversation with God that we practice throughout our daily lives: at home, at work, behind the wheel of a car, doing household chores, etc.

Certainly, we’re not expected to observe a time of formal prayer seven times each day as our monastic brothers and sisters in Christ observe. Monastic men and women of the Church do a great service to us by their formal prayer practices seven times a day, and by their deep spiritual contemplation, and by their devotional writings. However, for the vast majority of Christians this would be very impractical to try to observe the level of formal prayer that monastic Christians practice. Be that as it may, as I already mentioned, there is the ancient practice of praying the Lord’s Prayer three times a day. (For me, I try to pray the Lord’s Prayer at least once per day.) But there are other wonderful and brief pre-written prayers that we can utilize for the purpose of centering ourselves in God. Here are three examples of such simple formal prayers:

“Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.”

(The Glory Be)

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

(The Jesus Prayer)

“Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love.”

(The Holy Spirit Prayer)

During the Season of Lent, we are given a special time of year to recognize our poverty of spirit and to seek the riches of God’s grace in Christ through more dedicated devotional reading, prayer and contemplation. To that end, we can use short formulaic prayers that are easily memorized (like The Glory Be, The Jesus Prayer, and The Holy Spirit Prayer) on a daily basis in order to de-clutter and center our hearts and minds, helping us to refocus and continue our informal daily conversation with God. So, these are like spiritual reset buttons that we can use.

Indeed, our annual Lenten observance gives us a special opportunity to recognize that our life in this world is ultimately dust and that God is our one and only True Rock. When we go through major transitions in life, it is okay to be sad. When we face depressing circumstances, it is okay to feel depressed. For we are dust and to dust we shall return (see Genesis 3:19). However, the good news of Jesus Christ is that we have a new birth into a living hope:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

(First Peter 1:3-5)

May we all have a good Lenten Season this year, daily praying with both formal and informal prayer practices to access the riches of God’s grace to help us through everything that life in this impermanent world places in front of us. So now I leave you with one more pre-written prayer from an old Catholic prayer booklet published by the Dehonian Monastic Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:

In every need let me come to You with humble trust, saying: Jesus, help me!

In all my doubts, perplexities and temptations: Jesus, help me!

In hours of loneliness, weariness and trials: Jesus, help me!

In the occasional failure of my hopes and plans, in disappointments, troubles and sorrows: Jesus, help me!

When others reject me, and Your grace alone can assist me: Jesus, help me!

When I throw myself on Your mercy and love as my Savior: Jesus, help me!

When my heart is cast down by frustration at seeing no good come from my efforts: Jesus, help me!

When I feel impatient, and my cross irritates me: Jesus, help me!

When I am ill, and my head and hands cannot work, and I am lonely: Jesus, help me!

Always, always, in spite of weaknesses, falls and shortcomings of every kind: My Lord Jesus Christ, help me and forever guide me. Amen.

Blessed Lent to all of you!  Pastor Tim