How to Please God

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Mike

God wants you to be happy, full of joy, looking forward to your future, and celebrating your past. We reach this place in our lives when we turn from our sin and trust Jesus as our Savior. The primary way we please God is by following the teachings of Jesus. In the book of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul offers some specific examples of what the will of God is in our lives.

“Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB)

There are a lot of times in our lives that we don’t feel like rejoicing. When things go wrong or tragedy strikes, our hearts tend to turn away from the tendency to rejoice. Yet God wants us to rejoice always. God can see beyond our difficulties to the new life He has planned for us. While we don’t have the advantage of seeing the future, we please God when we trust the vision He has shared with us in His Word. Regardless of our current circumstances, God wants us to continually rejoice knowing that He is ultimately in control and all of our pain will one day be overcome.

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NASB)

Please God through Prayer

Our prayers should be continuously filled with thanks to God for all He has given us. In order to please God, we need to be thankful for all the good things that happen in our lives as well as the obstacles placed in our way. Jesus went through enormous pain to accomplish the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Our pain will one day be revealed as something to celebrate as well.

“Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15 (NASB)

Finally, we need to take our rejoicing attitude, our prayers, and our thankful heart and share with others. One of the best ways to please God is in service to others. Your connection to God is a powerful tool that needs to be put to work in the lives of those around you. Our mission as believers is to help others enjoy the same joyful spirit that has been given to us.

“And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:16 (NASB)

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context. Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations. In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon. Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.