Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Thessalonians 5:17

"pray without ceasing;" — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ASV)

Intimately related to constant joy is incessant prayer—the only way to cultivate a joyful attitude in times of trial. Uninterrupted communication with God keeps temporal and spiritual values in balance. “Continually” (GK 90; cf. 1:2–3; 2:13; Romans 1:9) does not mean nonstop praying. Rather, it implies constantly recurring prayer, growing out of a settled attitude of dependence on God. Whether words are uttered or not, lifting the heart to God while one is occupied with miscellaneous duties is the vital thing. Verbalized prayer will be spontaneous and will punctuate one’s daily schedule, as it did Paul’s writings (3:11–13; 2 Thessalonians 2:16–17).