Facing Hard Times?... Worship and Praise God through it.
- Lori Joy
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 5
Are you facing hard times, and feeling challenged with more than you fair share of bad days?
We've all faced hard and challenging times, and we've all had bad days. In such times we are likely to feel discouraged or saddened, and struggle in persevering through whatever we are facing. Most of us know to pray concerning our challenges and struggles, but rarely do we think to sing and praise God in the midst of our challenges and struggles.
Drawing from my own personal experiences... if I'm having a bad day, or facing more complex challenges in life, I find that just listening to and singing worship music definitely lightens my mood. As well, it encourages me and eases any sorrows. Worship music helps me to put my mind on the Lord who is able to get me through whatever challenges I am facing.
Listening to and singing worship music, along with reading scripture, makes me feel strengthened and empowered to handle and even to overcome whatever challenges that lay before me.
It is scriptural to keep worshiping and praising God through difficult times. The book of Psalms is full of examples. Here are just a few...
I will bless the Lord at ALL times; His praise shall CONTINUALLY be in my mouth. – Psalm 34:1
Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. – Psalm 42:11
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? – Psalm 56:3-4
For some folks, it may not feel natural to praise and worship God in the midst of difficult times at first. Some might feel uncomfortable... but, go ahead and praise God anyway... even if you are still hurting and not "feeling" the joy one usually assumes we should have when we praise. God already knows your heart and what you are struggling through. Praise God anyway... even in the storm.
Consider the Biblical book of Job... Job lost everything he had... he lost his family, his possessions... he even lost his station or standing in his community... he lost the respect of others in the community who once revered him as the most holy and upright man. They assumed that Job must have done something very wrong and perceived (however wrongly) that God must have been punishing Job for it. While Job did feel sorrow for his losses (who wouldn't)... he still praised and glorified God, and he kept trusting that God had a plan and purpose for it all. Job trusted God. Job never turned his back on God. Job worshiped God through it all... through the good and through the bad. And in time, God rewarded him for it by restoring everything he had lost ten fold.
If you are facing trials and tribulations of your own... don't be a doubting Thomas... Be a Job and trust God. And no matter how much you are hurting, keep praising God through it.
A few things to apply to your act of Praise...
1) Verbalize your praise. Praise is to be heard openly, not silently. Don’t praise God silently, praise Him openly and verbally. Praise Him in your prayers, and praise Him by singing songs of praise.
2) When you notice that fear and worry are beginning to raise their ugly heads, counter it with praise and worship, as well as with prayer. It's ok to ask God to help you through it all.
3) As you praise Him, ask God for guidance in how to deal with the situation, ask God to show you what you can learn from this experience to grow and strengthen in your walk.
4) Contemplate and remember God’s work thus far in your life, and praise him for it. Has God helped you get through troubles before? Reviewing God’s goodness, faithfulness, and provision in our past experiences will help you to find new strength to face the problems you face today.
5) Read scriptures that remind you of ways God helps you, such as the one below...
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” - Isaiah 43:2
Remember that God is ALWAYS with you, even through the storm. So don't let the enemy deceive you into thinking God is not there for you. God very much is there helping you through it, even if at that moment you don't see it. Just keep clinging to the Lord... Praise and Worship Him through the storm. He will bring you through it, and on the other side of that storm is the beauty of blue skies that we will rejoice all the more at seeing once we reach that side of the storm.
Worship gets you through the hardest times in your life because it shifts your focus from the problem to the problem solver. So hang in there. Be courageous... and keep praising and worshiping the Lord!
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