Praise God even when it feels like the dumbest thing you can do.
In the midst of troubles, doubts, pain, shame, guilt, grief, praising God is one of the most cathartic, therapeutic, relaxing, freeing, inspiring and counter-intuitive things you can possibly do.
It is the strangest feeling to thank the Lord and shout His goodness to Him when you feel like Brock Lesnar just threw you down Half Dome and you land in a wood chipper. Your arse has been battered, bruised, beaten and destroyed, and the thing you want to do is feel sorry for yourself or get revenge or simply give up and die.
But the best thing, the best thing, you can do, is Praise the Lord.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
*Note: This isn’t news if you’ve been keeping up with this blog, but it bears repeating.
In Acts, there was a situation where the Disciples were beaten for preaching the word of God. Their response? They rejoiced!
“The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” ~Acts 5:41
Now, I’ll be honest, I don’t know or understand how or why praising God in the midst of going through the crap that comes with life brings peace and blessings and joy and relief from the weight of guilt and shame, but it does. When the consequence of sin weighs down on your soul like a wet blanket, praise is what causes God to lift that weight and burden off of you. It really doesn’t make sense in a logical view, but it works.
God responds to praise more than your request for help or cry for forgiveness. Don’t get me wrong, He responds to those too, but once you ask, it’s given. Repeatedly asking is like asking for a glass of water when your cup is already full–what’s the point? After a while, you have to say thank you.
Keep in mind that going through crap isn’t God just being a jerk, but crap is what God uses to better us for one reason or another.
“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” ~Hebrews 12:11
So perhaps praise is the response God is looking/waiting for so that He knows that what you’re going through is working and He’ll bring you out of it sooner and stronger.
Try it, let me know if it works for you like it does for me.
*Note: Read the book of Job for an example of a guy who goes through total crap and comes out much more blessed in the end as a result.
“God responds to praise more than your request for help or cry for forgiveness. Don’t get me wrong, He responds to those too, but once you ask, it’s given. Repeatedly asking is like asking for a glass of water when your cup is already full–what’s the point? After a while, you have to say thank you.”
Ohhhhhhh! Wow – that really, really made sense. Thank you!
This reminds me of lyrics Fred Hammond sang: Your delivery – it’s in your praise. Blessings, protection, provision – it’s in your praise.
My mom said:
“Hi Sweetie,
Love your posts.
God requires repentance for completion in praise. In other words, you can praise him but if you don’t repent you will soon start to have a reprobate spirit. Therefore, praise can help to bring the sin to light so you can repent. It’s like knowing you did something wrong and trying to look someone in the eye and act as if nothing happened. Praise lets you look God in the eyes. It helps you to seek to cleanse your heart. That is just ONE small segment of praising Him.
In the praise you’re talking about in your beautiful message (such wonderful insights and love the scripture you selected) God is saying that even when you are being mistreated, hurt, etc., praise him because it shows you know he is in control of every siutation. It might look bad to us but we are here to do His will, not live our way or have a rosy life all of the time. It might be that we have to suffer some things at times but our praise shows we know it’s not about our suffering but about His glory that will be shown through the suffereing. Like the matryrs that were persecuted (You mientioned them from Acts), they weren’t in sin. But suffering as they did brought attention and glory to God. By praising Him in the midst of the suffering they let people (with people minds) understand that there was a God over the situation that kept them faithful and in joy. Am I making any sense?
Momma”