In 1 Thess 5, prayer is mentioned twice. First is in v17 where Paul says to pray without ceasing. The second is in v25 where Paul says, “Brethren pray for us.” When Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to pray unceasingly it’s not a direct request to pray for him and the fellow workers. Paul wanted the Thessalonians to lead a life of constant prayer for their own sakes, so they’d be preserved blameless for the second coming of Jesus. There are two other references to prayers in this epistle; it is Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonian believers.

The worship in heaven is worship God is pleased with because it’s in accordance to the will of God. As such, our worship on earth should be like the worship in heaven. There’re a few important points about the worship in heaven we should learn from.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Luke 13:6-9
6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

We read Revelation 4:6-8;

The incidents of receiving the Holy Spirit are clearly recorded in the Bible. When a person receives the Holy Spirit, he/she will speak in tongues. During the apostolic times, it was something they could see and hear. It isn’t based on human feelings, but rather there’s a clear sign the Spirit of God is in a person. It is also the only criteria the apostles used to determine whether a person had received the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us the words of God are true. From a few thousands years ago to now, the spirit of God has led this work. The Bible also mentions about the Spirit of truth, which tells us that both the truth and Holy Spirit cannot be separated. Therefore the truth we understand about the Holy Spirit today cannot and should not change.