Worship has a special relationship to joy. It is both a key to joy and an expression of joy. Are you down? You can worship God and experience true joy. Are you truly joyful? If so, you will express it best through worship. Grateful worship and joy are inseparable.
First Thessalonians 5:18 is often quoted alone: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It’s a wonderful verse, but it shouldn’t be quoted without verses 16 and 17, because the three verses are one sentence. It begins, “Rejoice always; pray continually.” The Greek is clear that all three parts together make up God’s will for us. The word used in “pray continually” doesn’t mean merely asking for things. Rather, it expresses devotion and includes worship, praise, and thanksgiving. So if you want to be joyful always, you must also worship God and give Him thanks always. If you want to be in God’s will, obey these three commands—not just when everything is going fine, but all the time.
Excerpted from Keys to Joy: How to Unlock God’s Gift of Lasting Happiness.