Praising God
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed." (KJV) Acts 16:25−26
God has been very gracious to us as humanity and has blessed us in manifolds, but we normally remember what we don’t have and our needs and fail to praise God. No matter who you are, what you have and where you are in life, you will surely have some challenges. If you are waiting to have a life without any challenge before praising God, you can never praise God.
Praising God is the expression of respect, approval, admiration, and gratitude as an act of worship. It is natural and easy to praise God when life is very comfortable. Praising God becomes difficult when we are in trouble and depressed. There are many benefits we gain when we praise God despite our challenges.
Praises to God can free us from the chains of trouble we are in. Paul and Silas are perfect examples and motivations for us. Praising God opened doors of opportunities for Paul and Silas to evangelize and convert souls for God. That would not have happened if they kept on complaining and cursing themselves for being in prison for God. Praising God does not only motivate us but also people around us to trust and focus on God.
We gain emotional and psychological strength when we get out of our situations and praise God. We get closer to God in our helpless states as we keep trusting Him and praising Him for being in charge of our lives. God, who created worship should be our exclusive object of praise during comfortable and challenging times. It is not easy but Paul and Silas in chains in the innermost part of prison still gathered enough strength and praised God.
Dear one, think about how God has blessed and rescued you in the past. Examine your current circumstances and focus on where God is leading you into the future. God is making a story for himself through you. Keep praising God for you are not where you are by accident. Even amid your adversities, maintain an attitude of gratitude and keep praising God.