The Powerful Three

 

📖 MAIN SCRIPTURE: Always be joyful. Never stop praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus [1 Thessalonians 5:16-18]

There are three powerful biblical strategies we can use every single day to help us guard our thoughts, stay grounded in Stellar Thinking, and continue believing that We Are Who God Says We Are.

These three strategies come directly from our scripture this week—three simple phrases, yet profoundly life-changing:

1. Rejoice always
2. Pray continually
3. Give thanks in all circumstances

Oh, I know girlfriend, you are thinking is she serious, is this really in the bible? How in the world can anyone be joyful always? Or pray without stopping? Or give thanks in everything, even when biscuits are flying left and right?

I’ve struggled with these myself. I’ve failed more times than I’d like to admit. But here’s the truth I’ve learned the hard way: we cannot do this on our own. Positive thinking won’t cut it. Determination alone won’t last. These three powerful strategies only become possible when we lean fully on the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in us.

Yep, been there done that too, trying to do it on my own, and it just doesn’t work. Hopefully you can skip a few of my mistakes and learn quicker than I did because the POWERFUL THREE are not just filler on the page ideas.

These powerful three are tools from God Himself, meant to help us live with unshakable joy, constant connection with Him, and grateful hearts, even in the middle of flying biscuits.

REJOICE ALWAYS

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again, rejoice! [Philippians 4:4]

I’ll be honest, rejoice always used to really bug me. Really, Lord? You want me to rejoice when my heart is breaking? You want me to rejoice when I’ve lost my dearest friend, when I had to say goodbye to my sweet Angel doggie, or when everything I worked for with a snap of my fingers was gone? Seriously??? How in the world am I supposed to do that? What does that even mean?

Here’s what I’ve come to understand: to rejoice in this context doesn’t mean you’re bouncing up and down with excitement or walking around with a fake smile plastered on your face, pretending everything is fine. That’s not joy, that’s performance, that’s acting religious.

True joy is something deeper. It isn’t created by our own effort; it flows out of our relationship with the Lord. Joy is the unshakable assurance that God has this whatever “this” looks like in your life right now. It’s the calm confidence that He will help me through this, even when everything else feels out of control.

And here’s the best part: joy is not something we have to force or try to make up on our own. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit. His power strengthens us, His presence protects us, and His peace steadies us in the middle of the storm.

So yes, even when the biscuits are flying and life feels unbearable, we can rejoice, not in the situation itself, but in the God who holds the situation.

PRAY CONTINUALLY

Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving [Colossians 4:2 AMP]

When we hear pray continually, many of us picture a monk sitting in solitude for hours on end. But the truth is, continual prayer doesn’t require robes, candles, or hours of silence. It’s simply a lifestyle of talking with God about everything, all day long.

Prayer isn’t only about asking. It’s also about listening. Continual prayer is an ongoing dialogue where we not only share what is on our heart, but we also pause long enough to hear His heart and words in return.

For me, prayer is constant. I literally pray all day asking God for wisdom in the big decisions, but also for guidance in the simple things: when to get up, what to eat, where to focus my time in the next five minutes. It may sound small, but involving God all the details of daily life keeps my heart soft, my mind clear, and yes, often keeps me out of trouble!

Each morning, I begin with what I call my Holy Appointment. This is a set-apart, sacred time to connect with Him through prayer, journaling, Bible study, or simply sitting in silence and listening. That dedicated time sets the tone for the rest of the day. But prayer doesn’t stop there, it continues as I drive, as I work, and even when I’m out in nature, which often becomes another Holy Appointment on its own.

Sometimes it’s as simple as, “Lord, help me be patient with the driver in front of me.” Other times it’s gratitude: “Thank You for this car that keeps me safe and warm.” Or just a spontaneous “Thank You, Lord, for the ability to drive.”

Jesus Himself often withdrew to pray continually to His Father. If He, the Son of God, needed that ongoing connection, how much more do we need it?

Prayer is not an obligation, it is a blessing and a privilege to be able to communicate directly with God Almighty, because of Jesus!

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever [1 Chronicles 16:34]

This one can trip us up big time. Giving thanks in all circumstances doesn’t mean we thank God for the tragedy itself. We don’t have to be thankful that someone died, that someone is sick, or that we lost our job. That would be cruel and unrealistic. What it does mean is that we thank God in the middle of those circumstances because of who He is.

We can give thanks because we know, without a doubt that He loves us, even if we have made a mistake to cause flying biscuits. We can give thanks because continual prayer keeps us connected to Him. We can give thanks because whatever the outcome, we have His promise that He is with us and will lead us through it victoriously.

This kind of thankfulness shifts our perspective. It allows us to take our eyes off the immediate pain. It reminds us that while the flying biscuits may not be okay, we are ultimately okay in Christ.

Even Jesus modeled this for us. On the night of His betrayal, just before the cross, He sat with His disciples at the Last Supper. Scripture says: “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” [1 Corinthians 11:23–24]

Think about that—Jesus gave thanks, not because His circumstances were good (He was about to endure the most horrific suffering imaginable), but because He saw the grace and glory on the other side of the cross. He gave thanks for what God was going to accomplish through His pain.

That’s the key for us too. We don’t thank God for the hardship, but we thank Him for His presence in it, what He can do through it, and the hope beyond it.

I’ll be real sometimes this one ruffles my feathers too. There are moments when I feel like a chess piece being moved around, so frustrated there is so much pain in this world. My human brain struggles to wrap around it. But even in those raw, questioning moments, I come back to this truth: God is good, His presence is near, and His promises never fail. It is NOT God that causes the pain and suffering and remember this dear sister it is the devil.

So, giving thanks in all circumstances means this: we can be grateful for His presence in the flying biscuits.

ACTIVATING THE POWERFUL THREE

Here’s the thing, I don’t have it all figured out. Sometimes my thinking gets warped, and often I can’t make sense of what might be happening. But while I only see a tiny piece of the puzzle, God sees the entire picture from beginning to end.

💜 That’s why I need the Holy Spirit. On my own, activating the Powerful Three is impossible. But with His power of the Holy Spirit within me, I can! This is how we live out Stellar Thinking. This is how we stand firm. And this is how we declare with boldness: We are who God says we are!

 

So, girlfriend, let’s rise up together in faith: When all biscuits are flying—by the power of the Holy Spirit let’s

REJOICE ALWAYS, PRAY CONTINUALLY, and GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES!