Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled Pray Always was written by Katara Patton.

I got an 84 on the test.

I felt my teen's excitement as I read her message on my phone.

She just started attending

classes at a high school and was using her phone during lunch. My mama heart leaped, not just because

my daughter had done well on a challenging test, but because she was choosing to communicate it to me.

She wanted to share her good news with me. Realizing that her text had made my day, I later thought

about how God must feel when I reach out to him. Is he as pleased when I talk to him? Prayer is how we

communicate with God and something we're told to do continually. Talking with him reminds us that he's

with us through the good and the bad.

Sharing our news with God, even though he already knows all about us, is helpful as it shifts

our focus and helps us think about him. Isaiah 263 says, you will keep in perfect peace those

whose minds are steadfast, fixed on you, because they trust in you.

We have peace awaiting us when we turn our attention to God. Regardless of what we face, may we

continually speak with God and keep in touch with our Creator and Savior. Whisper a prayer,

and remember to rejoice and give thanks.

After all, Paul says this is God's will for us.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 16 through 22.

Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test them all. Hold on to what is good. Reject every kind of evil.

Let's pray. Gracious God, please remind us to stay in touch with you throughout our day. Help us to seek your presence in every moment and to rely on your guidance. We want to rejoice and give you thanks in all we

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