Have you ever noticed that praising God changes the spiritual atmosphere? Instead of complaining when your day isn’t going well, try praising God and see how that can change things. This Psalm drew me into praise and I was uplifted and included it in the blog. Praise draws us closer to God.
Psalm 148:1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! 3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! 4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! 5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. [1]
Try Praising instead of Complaining
Paul and Silas had cast out the demon in the slave girl who told fortunes. She was set free, but there would be pushback.
Acts 16:19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.[2]
Did you notice what Paul and Silas were doing? Instead of complaining about their wounds because they were beaten, they were praising God. Also, other prisoners were listening to them. Their praises of God were infectious and made a difference in the lives around them.
Why is praise so powerful?
1. Praise gets our focus off ourselves and back on God. In our often-self focused world, we need this constant reminder that life is not all about us. We’re prone to selfishness, He desires our eyes be set firmly on Him, because that’s where our true hope is found. 2 Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness! [3] Psalm 150:2
2. Praise makes the enemy flee. It pushes back the darkness that surrounds and blocks the attacks and lies over us. Evil will not stick around if we’re praising our God, who will fight our battles for us. In the story of Jehoshaphat, we see God miraculously defeat the enemy, because of the people’s obedience to praise Him. 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.[4] 2 Chronicles 20:22.
3. Praise leaves no room for complaining and negativity. Sometimes even within our prayers, we can tend to complain about our problems. But through praise, we’re focused on Him, no longer allowing too much attention to be centered around the struggles.
4. It paves the way for God’s power to be displayed and miracles to happen. As Paul and Silas sat in prison, shackled, and chained, they kept right on praising God. And God sent an earthquake that shook the cells and broke the chains. The jailer and all his family came to know Christ that very night.
To hear how Paul and Silas praised God in their situation, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/hope-in-prison
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.