Pray without ceasing.
What does 1 Thessalonians 5:17 mean?
We are to rejoice in creature-comforts, as if we rejoiced not, and must not expect to live many years, and rejoice in them all; but if we do rejoice in God, we may do that evermore.
Key themes
Read with
Keep this verse inside 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:17
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. We are to observe the duty of prayer in the closet, in the family, and in the assembly convened to call on the name of the Lord. We are not to allow this duty to be interrupted or intermitted by any trifling cause. We are so to act that it may be said we pray regularly in the closet, in the family, and at the usual seasons when the church prays to which we belong. (2) we are to maintain an uninterrupted and constant spirit of prayer.
Context in 1 Thessalonians 5
Show chapter context
1 Thessalonians 5 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as final exhortations. First Thessalonians encourages a young church in faithfulness, brotherly love, sanctification, and hopeful expectation of Christ’s return. Read this chapter with the wider themes of hope, holiness, and mission in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
Explore by topic
Passages on asking, persistence, confession, dependence, and the way prayer shapes Christian life and attention.
A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.
Who quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:17?
Find out who used 1 Thessalonians 5:17 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:17?
Quotes found on Wikiquote (match for «pray without ceasing»):
Gerald Ford · Isaiah the Solitary · John Byrom · Lucius the Ascetic · November 26 · September 14 · The Way of a Pilgrim