Psalms 34:1 (NLT)
“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.”
When we’re going through a really difficult season in life, and it seems like the storm just keeps on raging, we might find it challenging to praise God the way we should. It’s especially difficult when we have prayed steadfastly for a breakthrough, and it seems to be delayed. This can take a toll on us mentally and emotionally. A good thing to do is to go to God’s Word and study some of the many examples of those who cried out to God. They were really going through a hard time, but they waited for God to turn their situations around. Psalm 27:14 (NLT) tells us, “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” This is what God’s people did thousands of years ago, and we must wait patiently for Him as well. We can have confidence that just as He rescued them, He will do the same for us and elevate us to a place of victory in Christ.
While we’re waiting on God, some might ask, “Well, what do we do in the wait?” Do we sit with our hands tucked beneath our laps and continue to sink in our emotions? No. When our backs are against the wall, and it seems like victory isn’t on our side, we thank God for His many blessings, and we give Him praise, proving that we have faith in His awesome love and power, and we know He will never let us down.
It’s easy to feel stuck or hopeless during times of waiting, but we must remember that waiting on God isn’t about idleness. It’s about trust. We have to trust that even when things don’t look promising, God is still working behind the scenes. Often, there is a space of time between the trouble we’re experiencing and the resolution that only our Father can bring. However, this waiting period isn’t a pause for us to be idle: it’s an opportunity to grow deeper in our relationship with Him. This is when our commitment to press should be strengthened. We should draw nearer to His presence, and allow His peace to fill us, even when everything around us feels chaotic.
The Bible reminds us in Isaiah 40:31 (NLT), “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” It’s not about staying in a constant state of sorrow and disappointment; the Father doesn’t want that for us. He wants us to keep our hearts in a posture of praise. We need to understand that our adoration and exaltation of the Father means that we are bringing ourselves in alignment with the truth. We are affirming His power as well as His willingness to use it on our behalf. Our praise is an affirmation of our faith in God.
We should also know that the enemy tries to destroy our praise for God, he doesn’t want us talking about the Father’s goodness, but instead, he wants us to glorify his evil works.
Dastardly and deceptive, the enemy wants our mouths to be filled with complaints, our hearts weighed down by worry, and our focus fixed on what’s going wrong. But when we choose to praise God in the middle of some of the worst times in our lives, we put a muzzle on the lies of the enemy and shift the atmosphere around us. Our praise becomes a weapon—a declaration that no matter what it looks like, we trust in the One who holds our future.
Our praises are faith builders. The more focused we are on God’s love and power, the less power we give to the enemy—and he will flee. James 4:7 (NLT) says, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” It’s the humility in our praise that pleases God. When we praise Him even when we don’t feel like it, we’re showing Him that we know He’s the One that causes all things to work together for our good, as Romans 8:28 says. Our relationship with God can’t be built on emotions, it must be built on faith. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) tells us that we can’t please Him without it: “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
God is worthy of all praise, at all times, in all seasons of our life. He’s good all the time. Our circumstances and situations don’t dictate God’s sovereignty—He’s God all by Himself, and He will prove that to us each and every time we choose to trust Him, praise Him, and wait on Him. His faithfulness never changes, even when everything around us does. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Bless His Name in the Storm”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2025. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.