Ever have one of those days where the very LAST thing you feel like doing, is praising the LORD? You know what I’m talking about, you are having a valley experience and just when you think it couldn’t get any worse – something else happens and you just want to throw your hands up in the air in exasperation?
Well, THIS is the time when you have to push those negative beat-down feelings aside and pull out that good ol’ weapon of praise and worship! Seriously, I know it is the very LAST thing you want to do – but you see, ol’ slewfoot knows that if he can get you to a point of giving up and giving in – he wins! And let me tell you:
EVEN THOUGH YOU DON’T “FEEL” LIKE WORSHIPING RIGHT NOW – THAT’S THE TIME WHEN YOU NEED TO MOST OF ALL!
Think of it this way – Praise and worship is also a way of showing ol’ slewfoot that you are not going to give into your feelings, he can’t stand it when we worship Father God, it really gets his goat! (Hehehe)
There IS tremendous power in praise and the wonderful thing about it is that as you submit to worship, your feelings start to line up with your faith!
Need help with this? Okay, pray OUTLOUD with me!
“Father God, I know that You know my thoughts before I even think them – so I’m not going to lie and tell you that I’m not struggling right now. But Father, I refuse to be led by my feelings, no matter HOW I feel YOU are STILL worthy to be praised. You tell me in Isaiah 41:10:
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
And also, Isaiah 43:2:
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.
You say in Philippians 4:6:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Father, I worship You and I praise You because You have ALWAYS taken care of me! And I know You will NOT stop now! I know that I only see in part, but YOU see in full! I thank You Father for the things You are doing from behind the scenes of my life that I cannot even see! You are faithful! You are a GOOD, GOOD Father! I CHOOSE to worship You because You deserve ALL the glory ALL the honor and ALL the praise! I know that even as I recite these words that You are already working my situation out! Father, you tell me in Matthew 7:11:
“So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who keep on asking him!”
I thank You Father for resolution! I thank You for healing! I thank You for provision! I thank You for the victory over this situation! I worship You and give You ALL the glory! Father, I am not in a relationship with You for “what You can do for me” but for what You have ALREADY done for me! Thank You so much Jesus for Your gift to me of salvation! I praise You through ALL I am going through because I KNOW the victory is ALREADY mine through You! Thank You for being there, for listening, for answering, for caring, for being in control of ALL things (even when they feel out of control!) and for loving me through it all! In Jesus’ precious name I pray, AMEN”
Now, tell me – don’t you feel better? I know I do… And let me give you a personal testimony to consider:
Recently, I was driving in a rainstorm on my way to an appointment. It was hard to see out the window, the rain was coming down so hard. I had my radio station on my favorite station – AIR1 because I like to listen to worship and praise while I’m driving, all of a sudden, my brakes gave out. First fear filled me as I pushed my foot on the brake as far as it could go, right down to the floor mat, my heart was racing. Thankfully, I was able to bring my car to a stop. I started praising God because I was safe and sound. It could have been SO much worse! But you see, in spite of my aggravation over another aggravating expense (I had just gotten my brakes done 2 months ago!) and a major inconvenience – IT COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH WORSE! I could have been hurt in an accident! God had His angels around me, protecting me! I sat in my car with lifted arms praising His precious and Holy name! The rest, God would handle and provide!
Let me share another story with you!
When I was sixteen years old, I was a Counselor-in-Training at an all-girls overnight camp in New Hampshire. I was helping to teach horseback riding to young campers. Well, in this one instance, lazy teenage me had not taken time to put on my riding boots, I had on white sneakers. I was helping a young girl mount the back of a horse, a horsefly landed on the horse, and he stomped his foot to shake it off and in doing so, he accidently came down on my foot. Instead of pushing his hindquarters over, I stupidly pulled my foot out from under his and let me tell you – HORSES ARE HEAVY!!! 😉 My white sneaker (right at the toes) became red with blood as my foot had been crushed under the weight of the horse. I had to be rushed to the hospital. Well, when the doctor cut my sneaker off from around my foot, it showed my left big toenail was crushed, my swollen toe looked like something right out of a joke shop! I was in a LOT of pain! The doctor told me and my mom that he was going to have to remove my toenail. Now, at seventeen that seemed like the end of the world! I was SO upset! My mother calmly put her arm around my shoulders and said the following:
“Kelly, look at that child over there.”
She pointed to a child who was in a wheelchair, an amputee.
“Now look at that child over there.”
She pointed to another child on the opposite side of the room – bald and clearly being treated for cancer. Then my mother said:
“I know this feels horrible, but the fact of the matter is it could have been worse. Let’s be thankful it was only a toenail that is being removed.”
I know that I probably grumbled and pouted, but the thing is – she was RIGHT. It COULD have been worse! That life lesson is one that I have taken since and applied to the rest of my life… THIS is coming from someone who has gone through cancer TWICE (at the same time my husband was going through cancer!), lost both my husband and mother 3 months apart from each other (they are with Jesus) – so I think I could convince myself I have a pretty good reason to wallow in self-pity, but I don’t, you know why? Because I know that my Bible tells me in Deuteronomy 20:4:
“For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
1 John 5:4 says:
“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”
And God IS greater THAN my circumstances! God IS the Way maker! Take a look at some of the names for God (and these are just a few!):
El Shaddai – Translated is “God Almighty”
El Roi – Translated “The God Who Sees.”
Yahweh Jireh – Translated is “The Lord will Provide.”
Yahweh Rophe – Translated is “The Lord Who Heals.”
Yahweh Nissi – Translated is “The Lord Our Banner.”
Yahweh Shalom – Translated is “The Lord Our Peace”.
Yahweh Elohim – Translated is “LORD God”
Yahweh Tsidkenu – Translated is “The Lord Our Righteousness “
Yahweh Shammah – Translated is “The Lord is There”
Remember, NOTHING is greater than our God. He IS able to bring you through ANYTHING you (and I) are going through. He has as in Deuteronomy 28:13:
“Made us the head and NOT the tail!”
Also, the Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18:
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Hey – have you read about what happened when Peter and Silas gave thanks in the midst of a dire situation they were in? Let’s take a look at it in Acts 16:25-34:
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to 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 bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” And the jailer called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.
See that? “They prayed and sang hymns to God!” There IS power in prayer AND there IS power in praise! And the results from worshiping at a time when the world would have told them, “They should be discouraged and distraught, losing hope and faith.” Instead, they determined NOT to be led by their feelings, but by their faith! This resulted not only in their release, but in the salvation of the jailer and the jailer’s family!
GOD IS FAITHFUL. GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY. GOD IS ABLE. HE IS THE GOD OF POSSIBLE. YOU ONLY HAVE TO BELIEVE
So, after reading ALL of that – Is your spirit leaping in praise inside of you? Click on the link below for AIR1 Christian radio, which will fill your room with praise and worship music, which will encourage you even more! (I’m not sure if you are located in an area that has access to it, but if not, do a search for “praise and worship music YouTube and Christian praise and worship songs will come up!)
CLICK TO LISTEN TO AIR1 CHRISTIAN RADIO
Start singing along or lifting your arms in worship to the One Who no matter what we go through – is worthy of ALL the glory, ALL the honor and ALL the praise! As I said before, we do not know the extent that God has shielded us from! He protects us from SO many things that we are unaware of – your Father LOVES you SO much! So how ’bout showing Him some love????? He asks us to do so not because He needs it (Hey – He has legions of angels praising and worshiping Him!) but because He knows that WE need it, it helps us to dial it down and to remember that God IS in control of EVERY situation, praising Him resets our frame of mind to remember that He can handle ANYTHING that comes our way. Even now He is working out a solution for you. You just have to have faith that He IS in control and able! And oh yes – He IS worthy to be praised. 😉
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