1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray without ceasing. Not that saints should be always on their knees, or ever lifting up their hands, and vocally calling upon God; this is not required of them, and would clash with, and break in

Rejoice evermore. In order to "rejoice evermore" we must "pray without ceasing." He who thanks God for all things as happening for the best, will have continuous joy (Theophylact).

This is a means to maintain our rejoicing, and therefore next mentioned. Prayer is a making known our requests to God, . And it is either mental, in the heart only, as Hannah’ s was; or vocal, expressed with the voice; or, as some add, vital: so good works have a voice to bring down blessings, as men’ s sins cry for vengeance. Without ceasing; not as the Euchites and Messalians of old, who hence thought no other duties were required, but always praying; but by the word in the text, is either meant a praying without fainting, as in the parable, , and which the apostle calls a perseverance in prayer, ; proskartereite, or praying with strength, as the Greek word there imports, and so not to faint; so . Or a praying in every thing, as : In every thing let your requests be made known, & c. Or, in every season, as ; to take hold of the seasons of prayer. Or, in all seasons and times, whether good or bad, yet still to pray. And all this is meant by the word in the text, which is also used ; and implies in general no more but a constant course of prayer, so , to watch unto prayer, as that the course of it be not interrupted by any diversions. As also to preserve a heart disposed to pray at all times, and to mingle ejaculatory prayers with the several actions of our lives: our wants are continual, and God will be acknowledged in all our supplies, and therefore we ought to pray continually.

17 Pray without ceasing. Ver. 17. Pray without ceasing] While prayer standeth still, the trade of godliness stands still. All good comes into the soul by this door, all true treasure by this merchant’ s ship. Paul beginneth, continueth, and concludeth his Epistles with prayer, Nehemiah sends up ejaculations ever and anon. Of Carolus Magnus it was spoken, Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur, that he spake more with God than with men. Our hearts should be evermore in a praying temper; and our set times of prayer should not be neglected, though we be not always alike prepared and disposed thereunto. Disuse breeds lothness to do it another time. Mahometans, what occasion soever they have, either by profit or pleasure, to divert them, will pray five times every day. Oratio est quantitas discreta, saith the philosopher. Oratio debet esse quantitas continua, saith our apostle. A Christian must ever be praying habitually, and vitally too; for, semper orat qui bene semper agit. He hath manifold occasions of calling actually upon God, as, 1. His daily morning and evening sacrifice, the neglect or non-performance whereof the Jews counted and called an "abomination of desolation." 2. The sanctification of creatures, calling, and relations. 3. New mercies. 4. New infirmities. 5. Variety of crosses. 6. Faintness of faith, spiritual desertions, temptations of Satan. 7. Sweetness of meditation. 8. Forethought of his last account, &c. Neither let any say we cannot awhile; for, 1. "A whet is no let;" a bait by the way is no hindrance to the journey; time spent in prayer hindereth not our business; for though it take so much from the heap, yet it increaseth the heap, as it is said of tithes and offerings, Malachi 3:10; Blind Popery could say, Mass and meat hindereth no man’ s thrift. 2. The greater the business, the more need there is of prayer to speed it; to be as oil to the wheel, as wings to the bird. Jacob, after he had seen God at Bethel, lift up his feet, and went lustily on his journey, Genesis 29:1; Genesis 3:1-24. How much idle time spend we, either in doing nothing, or worse, that might better be bestowed in this holy duty! Only take heed that frequency breed not formality, that we pray not in a lazy, customary, bedulling strain, like the pace the Spaniard rides, but rousing up ourselves, and wrestling with God, set we sides and shoulders to the work, lift up hearts and hands to heaven, lean upon Christ’ s bosom as the beloved disciple did, lie hard upon him, as she did upon Samson, to learn out his riddle; press him as they did the prophet, till he was even ashamed to say them nay, 2 Kings 2:17, till you put him to the blush, and leave "a blot in his face," υπωπιαζη, as the importunate widow dealt by the unjust judge, Luke 18:5.

(17) Pray without ceasing.—Theophylact well says, “This shows the way to ‘rejoice always’—to wit, incessant prayer and eucharist, for he that has accustomed himself to hold converse with God, and to give thanks to Him over everything that happens as happening well, will evidently have unbroken joy.” Though a man cannot be incessantly praying in words, the mind may be held continuously in an attitude of prayer, even in sleep (Son 5:2).

Verse 17. Pray without ceasing.] Ye are dependent on God for every good; without him ye can do nothing; feel that dependence at all times, and ye will always be in the spirit of prayer; and those who feel this spirit will, as frequently as possible, be found in the exercise of prayer.

17. Pray without ceasing] Twice the Apostle has used this adverb (ch. 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 2:13), referring to his own constant grateful remembrance of his readers before God. Numberless other objects occupied his mind during the busy hours of each day; and the Thessalonians could not be distinctly present to his mind in every act of devotion; still he felt that they were never out of remembrance, and thankfulness on their account mingled with and coloured all his thoughts and feelings at this time. In like manner Prayer is to be the accompaniment of our whole life—a stream ever flowing, now within sight and hearing, now disappearing from view, forming lie under-current of all our thoughts and giving to them its own character and tone.

Pray without ceasing - See the notes on Romans 12:12. The direction here may be fairly construed as meaning: (1) That we are to be regular and constant in the observance of the stated seasons of prayer.

17. Pray without ceasing—This recipe of St. Paul’s for a perpetual rejoice is in two Greek words, Pray incessantly. It means, not the being incessantly upon our knees, provided there be a perpetual submission of soul.