We are always quick to praise God when he blesses us. When we get the job we wanted, when our children are born, when our family is healthy and doing well. Or when miracles happen.
All those situations are great cause to praise the Lord. They all call for it. It is good to praise our heavenly Father in times of blessing and well being. For He is good.
Yet, we forget that He is good ALL the time. And worthy to be praise under any kind of circumstances.
Many times during times of struggle we spend so much time in prayer...requesting to be taken out of that situation. We spend so much time mourning, crying, frustrated, questioning God on why?! We spend so much time thinking about the struggle and even praying for strength, peace and joy. But how many of us spend the day simply praising God. "Praying and singing Hymns to God" just like Paul and Silas did when they were thrown into jail?
Acts 16:22-25 says:
"The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."
I speak for myself when I say that praising God is not the first thing that comes to mind when in trouble. The first thing is to ask him to do something and get me out of it!! Which is not necessarily bad. Who wants to go through hard times?! nobody! However we miss the point of what it means that "God works all things for good for those who love him" (Rom. 8:28) and that He is good all the time.
He sees the big picture. Every struggle we go through is a great opportunity to allow His glory to shine and his power to bloom! it is an open door to witness of His love, holiness and sovereignty!
Acts 16:26-34:
"Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."
Not only God can use our tough times to witness to the nonbeliever, but even more so, so witness to us, His children. To remind us that we were right to put our faith in Him, for He never changes. He is Faithful, Holy, Immutable, Just, Omnipresent, All-wise, Good, Sovereign, All-mighty and All-Love. He is our source of joy, freedom and peace. We can find that out when we dedicate our lives to praise Him. To focus our attention on His person.
Remember, the Lord is worthy to be praised all the time.
All those situations are great cause to praise the Lord. They all call for it. It is good to praise our heavenly Father in times of blessing and well being. For He is good.
Yet, we forget that He is good ALL the time. And worthy to be praise under any kind of circumstances.
Many times during times of struggle we spend so much time in prayer...requesting to be taken out of that situation. We spend so much time mourning, crying, frustrated, questioning God on why?! We spend so much time thinking about the struggle and even praying for strength, peace and joy. But how many of us spend the day simply praising God. "Praying and singing Hymns to God" just like Paul and Silas did when they were thrown into jail?
Acts 16:22-25 says:
"The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."
I speak for myself when I say that praising God is not the first thing that comes to mind when in trouble. The first thing is to ask him to do something and get me out of it!! Which is not necessarily bad. Who wants to go through hard times?! nobody! However we miss the point of what it means that "God works all things for good for those who love him" (Rom. 8:28) and that He is good all the time.
He sees the big picture. Every struggle we go through is a great opportunity to allow His glory to shine and his power to bloom! it is an open door to witness of His love, holiness and sovereignty!
Acts 16:26-34:
"Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household."
Remember, the Lord is worthy to be praised all the time.
When it is hardest to pray and praise, that is when we need to do it more! Great encouragement.
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