Praising God in Difficult Times

Life is full of difficulties and troubles. We know this is how it will be until we pass on to heaven because Jesus said, “in this world, you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) It’s so easy when these difficulties come to focus on the problems instead of promises from God’s word. So, how can we go about praising God in difficult times?

Praising God in difficult times

When It’s Hard to Praise God

I’m going to be honest, I’ve had moments when I want to crawl in bed and sleep for days. Things have been really bad and I wanted to hide away and not face it. I didn’t even know what to pray and felt like God had abandoned me. During these times, God has reminded me of three promises from the scriptures that I would like to encourage you with as well.

The first and biggest thing to remember during these tough seasons is that God is never take by surprise by our circumstances nor is He shocked when we struggle. The Bible says: “For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.” (Psalm 103:14 NLT)

Second, we are not alone. Even when we can’t feel it, God is there. The Bible holds the promises that God will never leave us:

  • The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
  • And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20b NIV

Finally, the Bible assures us that God is near to the broken hearted. Psalm 34:18 states, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” So, not only did He not leave us, but He is very near and has a plan to save us.

Importance of Worshipping God in Times of Trouble

Tough circumstances tend to skew our view. We over-think, over-react, and over-state our fears. We let anxiety and worry cloud the truth we know about who we are, why we exist, and Who we serve. I would like to present to us 4 thoughts for why it is so important to worship God in Times of Trouble:

  1. It takes the focus off of us and our problems.
  2. It puts our minds on the only One who can save us.
  3. It changes our attitude, actions, and arguments.
  4. It gives us peace and hope.
Reasons to worship God in times of Trouble

Reasons to Worship God

There are countless reasons to worship God. The main One being that He is the only One worthy of adoration, praise, and devotion. But, I would like to remind us of some reasons that God is worthy of that worship because when we are stuck in our own pain and trials, sometimes we forget.

For Who He Is

We can worship God because of who He is. I just want to make us a list along with some scriptures that will remind us why are God is worthy praising just because of who He is. There are so many more than listed here and I would encourage your to read through the Bible and make your own list.

Creator- Psalm 19:1-6 NIV

ProviderPsalm 111:9 NIV

King- Psalm 29:10 NIV

GoodPsalm 13:6 NIV

HolyPsalm 33:21 NIV

CaringPsalm 95:6-7 NIV

CompassionatePsalm 86:15 NIV

PerfectPsalm 18:30 NIV

MercifulPsalm 77:7-12 NIV

RefugePsalm 62:8 NIV

GraciousPsalm 116:5 NIV

MightyPsalm 89:8 NIV

For What He Has Done for Us

God has done so much for us. Through salvation in Jesus, He has saved us from our sin and given us life. Even if He did nothing else, that would be enough. However, He is too good to not continue to do for His children. I hope these scriptures remind us of what He has done that is deserving of praise.

God Saved us from Our Sin2 Timothy 1:9 NIV

God Brought us from Darkness into LightEphesians 5:8 NIV

God Speaks to us through the Bible2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

God Gave us the Holy SpiritJohn 14:26 NIV

God Gave us a Family of Believers- 1 Peter 5:9 NIV

God Gave us an Inheritance in HeavenColossians 1:12 NIV

God Loves Us1 John 4:9-10 NIV

God Comforts Us2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV

God Gives Us Peace1 Corinthians 14:33 NIV

God Guides UsJohn 16:13 NIV

Psalm 100:2 NIV

Psalms to Meditate on in Times of Trouble

The psalms are so comforting because they were written by humans just like us who poured out their doubts, fears, worries, concerns, praises, thoughts, and hearts to God. We can usually see a progression of anxiety to peace as the psalmist expresses his troubles and then remembers the God he serves is big enough to take care of it all. This list below are the psalms that bring me hope in suffering.

Psalm 23

Psalm 34

Psalm 42

Psalm 55

Psalm 72

Psalm 107

Practical Ways to Worship God When You Don’t Feel Like It

We’ve talked about reminding yourself of the reasons to worship God and scriptures that can help you praise and worship. But, here are some practical helps that you can practice when you are struggling to worship.

  • Make a Gratitude List and pray it back to God.
  • Turn on some worship music and sing along or just simple let the lyrics inspire you.
  • Share your struggle with a close friend and let them pray over you and encourage you.
  • Listen to a podcast or sermon from your favorite preacher.
  • Curl up in a comfy spot and pour your heart our to God in prayer.

4 thoughts on “Praising God in Difficult Times

  1. This is such a crucial topic for us to get right as Christians! I love the reminders of just a few reasons why God is worthy of our praise, in bad times as well as in good. Worship music is my favorite practical way to worship when I’m struggling.

  2. I absolutely LOVE this encouraging and edifying post, Arrica! It’s so easy to lose focus in the hard times, posts like this need to be bookmarked and returned to as often as needed during the tough seasons! Blessings sweet sister … 🙏😘💕

Leave a Reply