PRAISE THE LORD!

It is easy to praise the Lord when life is easy. It is easy to praise God from the mountain top. When something great happens in our lives, our first thought might be to praise the Lord. However, when the struggles come, and they will, it can be a struggle to praise the Lord. This is something every Christian knows.

There are some realities of our human nature and the Christian life we might keep in mind:

1. We are not likely to continue in our praise of God in worship and gratitude after an extended period of the good times. Human nature is such that we begin to take God and His Provision in our lives for granted, not unlike the behavior of a spoiled child. We forget about the valleys of the past. Too much of the good times and we forget who and where we once were and the lengths God has gone to rescue us from ourselves. 
2. We ALWAYS have a list of reasons to praise God regardless of our current circumstances. With minimal but intentional effort, we can always recall blessings which can lead us right into a moment of praise and gratitude. Can I just tell ya something? Whatever your struggles may be today, you always have something to praise the Lord for. You absolutely CAN find a way to praise God in your valleys. 

Sometimes, the valley is so low and dark, it can be difficult to even pray at all. This is one of the biggest reasons for intentionally engaging in a local community of faith. A church family can help you pray or pray for you when you cannot. One step we can take is to make a list of our reasons to praise God. Granted, that list will be easier to prepare from the mountain top. However, my experience has been that the first simple expression of gratitude opens me up to a line of interaction with God. Each new acknowledgement of who God is and His Providence in my life, comes easier than the previous. Praise God for His mercy, grace, love, etc. Praise God for reconciling you to Himself. Praise God for keeping His promises. And when you simply cannot bring yourself to praise God, you say just that to God. Even speaking your frustrations to God is still prayer.

Finally, consider what God has done for US, as the people of God. Praise God for His Provision for your church, your family, your friends, and your community. Today’s Christian culture reduces Christianity to the individual experience. This is not how the New Testament church in it’s beginnings conducted themselves. God uses others to mold us into the image of His Son. We absolutely need one another for encouragement, accountability and ultimately, to fulfill God’s will as the body of Christ. Can I just tell ya something? When I praise God for what He has done, and is doing, for others and not just for me, I am acknowledging that I am a part of God’s big ole plan for the world! 

What it will take for us to praise God when things are not going our way is a deeper level of humility.  Humility releases us to shift our focus from ourselves and our circumstances to God and His ways,  What we need is actually quite evident:  We need more God and less us!  #MásDeTi

1 Hallelujah!  Praise God in his sanctuary.  Praise him in his mighty expanse.  2 Praise him for his powerful acts;  praise him for his abundant greatness.  3 Praise him with trumpet blast;  praise him with harp and lyre.  4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;

praise him with strings and flute.  5 Praise him with resounding cymbals;  praise him with clashing cymbals.  6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.  Hallelujah!  

Psalm 150 CSB