Encouragement For Praising In The Midst Of Trials
"Praise God anyway"
Chances are you've heard this very thing, either directed towards you personally, preached in a sermon, or read in your quiet time. But how can we even begin to have the heart posture and energy to praise the Lord when life's worries weigh heavy, and you find yourself questioning God's goodness? We're here today to sit with you in that struggle and point you back to the compassionate heart of Christ.
Firstly, we want to sit with you and let you know you're not alone in your struggle to praise God when life seems to weigh heavy. The gospel even warns us of this very thing because the Lord knows that we are but flesh. We tire easy and get discouraged fast.
Matthew 19:26
"But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Why would Jesus say this? Because He knew we would need to hear that it is partnering with the Lord and trusting in Him that we will begin to see a shift in our own "impossible." And for many, it looks like thanking and praising God for their current reality.
We at SonRise Church and Ministries understand, which is why we have had a team member write a short testimonial down below in hopes of encouraging you in the fact that you are not alone...and there is light at the end of this tunnel.
An anonymous testimonial from a SonRise Church and Ministries member
I know what it's like to feel like the rug got pulled out from under you.
Like everything in your life was finally coming together...only to feel like it all fell apart. In fact, much of the last year and a half has been me struggling with these feelings...one of the main ones being the war between knowing in my head that needed to thank and praise the Lord despite this new trial but finding it difficult getting my heart and being to come into alignment with that truth.
I knew what I was supposed to do: Praise Him through the valley...but honestly? I was so, so weary.
The question, "Why now, God?" consumed my thoughts. I was wrecked, disappointed, traumatized, hurt beyond measure. Because of this, I found it difficult to sit long enough with my emotions, to lay my heart and worries at His feet and simply praise and thank Him. I had my moments where I could...but they were few and far between. I was the lowest I had ever been spiritually, and I was disappointed in myself because of it.
What I thought would be the happiest, picture-perfect season of my life turned into one of confusion, heartache, and a lot of sorrow. As I wrestled with the Lord's goodness, my trust issues, and exhaustion, I found my ability and desire to praise the Lord dwindled as I questioned God's love and character.
I felt jaded. Confused. Unsteady.
All the restless, tear-filled nights in prayer, begging Him for a certain outcome resulted in crushing disappointment and pain when that outcome never came. In the in between of wanting to trust God, wanting to be in His word, wanting to pray, wanting to worship...I found I couldn't bring myself to.
But where my strength had come to an end, the Lord's grace prevailed.
Firstly, we want to sit with you and let you know you're not alone in your struggle to praise God when life seems to weigh heavy. The gospel even warns us of this very thing because the Lord knows that we are but flesh. We tire easy and get discouraged fast.
Matthew 19:26
"But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Why would Jesus say this? Because He knew we would need to hear that it is partnering with the Lord and trusting in Him that we will begin to see a shift in our own "impossible." And for many, it looks like thanking and praising God for their current reality.
We at SonRise Church and Ministries understand, which is why we have had a team member write a short testimonial down below in hopes of encouraging you in the fact that you are not alone...and there is light at the end of this tunnel.
An anonymous testimonial from a SonRise Church and Ministries member
I know what it's like to feel like the rug got pulled out from under you.
Like everything in your life was finally coming together...only to feel like it all fell apart. In fact, much of the last year and a half has been me struggling with these feelings...one of the main ones being the war between knowing in my head that needed to thank and praise the Lord despite this new trial but finding it difficult getting my heart and being to come into alignment with that truth.
I knew what I was supposed to do: Praise Him through the valley...but honestly? I was so, so weary.
The question, "Why now, God?" consumed my thoughts. I was wrecked, disappointed, traumatized, hurt beyond measure. Because of this, I found it difficult to sit long enough with my emotions, to lay my heart and worries at His feet and simply praise and thank Him. I had my moments where I could...but they were few and far between. I was the lowest I had ever been spiritually, and I was disappointed in myself because of it.
What I thought would be the happiest, picture-perfect season of my life turned into one of confusion, heartache, and a lot of sorrow. As I wrestled with the Lord's goodness, my trust issues, and exhaustion, I found my ability and desire to praise the Lord dwindled as I questioned God's love and character.
I felt jaded. Confused. Unsteady.
All the restless, tear-filled nights in prayer, begging Him for a certain outcome resulted in crushing disappointment and pain when that outcome never came. In the in between of wanting to trust God, wanting to be in His word, wanting to pray, wanting to worship...I found I couldn't bring myself to.
But where my strength had come to an end, the Lord's grace prevailed.
"The Christian life is not just
sweetness and harp music.
Every committed Christian will find
warfare to be part of his total experience."
-Derek Prince
sweetness and harp music.
Every committed Christian will find
warfare to be part of his total experience."
-Derek Prince
I found this quote to really sit somewhere quite personal with me in regard to the last year and a half of my life as i sat down to write this. Every Christian will go through warfare...and it usually comes at the most inconvenient of times. Everyone will experience the sleepless nights, the "Why God?", and the pain that comes from refinement.
And at the lowest points of our lives are where some of God's best work is done.
It was at my lowest, angriest, and wounded that the Lord once again reminded me that even when I found it hard to praise Him, He never found it hard to love me. When I questioned His character, He never withdrew His delight from me. When I cried for the person who had left to come back and choose me, He had stayed by my side.
God is not a God who will leave you and forsake you...even when you struggle to give Him the praise and worship He rightfully deserves. His love isn't fragile, and His grace isn't determined by our own ability or inability to accomplish anything.
If I learned anything this last year and a half...it is when we struggle to praise the Lord, that even in this there is light at the end of the tunnel. We won't feel this way forever. There is hope! We have the assurance that God's power and ability to work in our hearts is not limited in any of the ways we are limited we trials hit our lives. When we struggle to obey Him, to make time for Him, to Praise Him despite the pain, we can simply ask the Lord to help us to have a heart that praises and worships Him through the pain. Change happens in our hearts when we admit our struggle to God and choose to walk in faith that He will help us to walk in His statutes.
Praise and worship are God's way of reminding us that His character and great power don't change or diminish based on our current state of heart and situation.
And as someone who is finally coming out of their spiritual slump and is finding it not just easier to praise and worship the Lord again daily but getting excited to...there is hope!
And at the lowest points of our lives are where some of God's best work is done.
It was at my lowest, angriest, and wounded that the Lord once again reminded me that even when I found it hard to praise Him, He never found it hard to love me. When I questioned His character, He never withdrew His delight from me. When I cried for the person who had left to come back and choose me, He had stayed by my side.
God is not a God who will leave you and forsake you...even when you struggle to give Him the praise and worship He rightfully deserves. His love isn't fragile, and His grace isn't determined by our own ability or inability to accomplish anything.
If I learned anything this last year and a half...it is when we struggle to praise the Lord, that even in this there is light at the end of the tunnel. We won't feel this way forever. There is hope! We have the assurance that God's power and ability to work in our hearts is not limited in any of the ways we are limited we trials hit our lives. When we struggle to obey Him, to make time for Him, to Praise Him despite the pain, we can simply ask the Lord to help us to have a heart that praises and worships Him through the pain. Change happens in our hearts when we admit our struggle to God and choose to walk in faith that He will help us to walk in His statutes.
Praise and worship are God's way of reminding us that His character and great power don't change or diminish based on our current state of heart and situation.
And as someone who is finally coming out of their spiritual slump and is finding it not just easier to praise and worship the Lord again daily but getting excited to...there is hope!
There is hope...and its found in Jesus.
Hebrews 4:16:
"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
We as believers can take courage and hope in the fact that even in our struggle to praise and worship God through our pain, we can come boldly before the Lord and ask for His help to be able to obey Him because of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. It is because of Jesus that we are made righteous before God, are heirs of God and a co-heir with Christ Jesus and that we are saved, sanctified, delivered, redeemed, justified, glorified, and cleansed. It is His grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts when we ask for help that cause our hearts to shift.
Not works
Not the old law
Not striving
Not perfection
Isaiah 50:7
"For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face
like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed."
Even when we struggle to praise and worship, we can not only have hope, but confidence drawing to the throne room of God and asking for His help. Because our struggle doesn't make us less Christian, or without faith...but causes us to rely on God's grace more and more and make room for His perfect love to shine through our cracks.
"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most."
We as believers can take courage and hope in the fact that even in our struggle to praise and worship God through our pain, we can come boldly before the Lord and ask for His help to be able to obey Him because of Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. It is because of Jesus that we are made righteous before God, are heirs of God and a co-heir with Christ Jesus and that we are saved, sanctified, delivered, redeemed, justified, glorified, and cleansed. It is His grace and the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts when we ask for help that cause our hearts to shift.
Not works
Not the old law
Not striving
Not perfection
Isaiah 50:7
"For the Lord God helps Me, therefore, I am not disgraced; Therefore, I have set My face
like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed."
Even when we struggle to praise and worship, we can not only have hope, but confidence drawing to the throne room of God and asking for His help. Because our struggle doesn't make us less Christian, or without faith...but causes us to rely on God's grace more and more and make room for His perfect love to shine through our cracks.
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