Over 43 years ago, Jesus saved my soul. Words can never express the gratitude I have for Him. He was beaten, hung on a cross, and died for me. Thankfully Father God raised Him on the third day. Hallelujah!

How can one properly thank another who died in their place? The answer is, you can’t. But I can praise Him for who He is and all He’s done for me. Praise comes easy for me…most of the time.

I have to be honest, walking with the Lord over four decades, I’ve learned so much, yet still have a lot to learn. One thing I can tell you is there were many times I found it hard to pray and harder to praise.

Why? I could not feel God’s presence. In dark times, doubt often crept in—just like it did in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve doubted God, at the serpent’s behest, and hid from God. Afraid. 

There are times I hide from God, figuratively, because a situation is out of my control which made me afraid. For example, seven months ago I thought a family member was dead. This person was caught up in the street life. Through a series of sketchy phone calls and texts, I was led to believe death had occurred.

My heart ached like it hadn’t in a very long time. Not knowing if this person was alive or dead brought fear. Fear that settled over me like a heavy, wet blanket. I hid in fear. I couldn’t praise God. It just wasn’t in me.

The dread of death continued for several weeks, until the Lord reminded me, He was right there with me. I asked for one reason to praise Him. He answered me with promises from Scripture:

• This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

• Those who know Your name [who have experienced Your precious mercy] will put their confident trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not abandoned those who seek You. Psalm 9:10 Amplified

Thoughts of these promises and others, flooded my mind, bringing peace and comfort to my wounded heart. Once again, God reminded me it is possible to praise Him in any situation, even if it is to praise Him for His peace that passes all understanding. 

As my heart settled and focused back on the Lord, I believed everything would be alright, regardless of the outcome. A week later, I received a call from this family member. My heart overflowed with praise. God heard my cry. I could wholeheartedly praise my Father, because praise Him before He answered my prayer. 

Disclaimer: I know, by experience, God does not always work things out the way we want. If God hasn’t answered you yet, hang in there. Trust His promises even if your storm keeps you from feeling His presence. He is with you and you can praise Him for that.

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me.

Psalm 16:8 NLT

Psalm 150 Background

The book of Psalms (also call the Book of Songs) consists of five smaller books. Bible.com the New King James Version (NKJV) gives titles to each of these book as well which Psalms are included in each book. 

Book 1: Psalms 1-41, The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

Book 2: Psalms 42-72, Yearning for God in the Midst of Distress

Book 3: Psalms 73-89, The Tragedy of the Wicked, and the Blessedness of Those Who Trust God

Book 4: Psalms 90-106, The Eternity of God and Man’s Frailty

Book 5: Psalms 107-150, Thanksgiving to the LORD for His Great Works of Deliverance

Various scholars call Psalm 150 the doxology of the Book of Psalms—a beautiful ending to a wonderful, heartfelt book of books. It is not clear who wrote this final song of praise, but many believe David wrote it because the theme and voice, or writing style, match other Psalms he wrote. 

The key to this psalm is praise. Abundant praise. In verses one and two, praise is given to God in the sanctuary for His mighty deeds and His excellent greatness.

Why did the Psalmist encourage the people to praise God? Because He is God Almighty, El Shaddai, creator of heaven and earth, and the sustainer of human life. He is Jehovah Shammah. Which means He is always here with us and loves us despite our sin and mistakes. Sounds like the Israelites had much to praise God over. We do, too.

In verses three through five how is God praised? With musical instruments of every kind—trumpet, lute (closest instrument today is the mandolin), harp, timbrel (small drum or tambourine), strings, flutes, loud cymbals, and clashing cymbals. Sound like an orchestra to  me. What do you think?

In verse six, who is to praise God? Everyone and everything that has breath, is to praise Him every time they think of His goodness and grace—even when life is hard.

Lessons from Psalm 150 for Moms

How should be praise God today? 

• We can praise Him with a sincerely thankful heart, whether in joy or pain.
• Praise Him with a believing heart. A faith that is sure and strong.
• We should praise Him, expecting nothing in return. Praise simply because you love God and are thankful for all He’s done for you, including dying on the cross to reconcile you to the Father, and lavishing His love on you.
• Praise Him with a life of complete surrender to His plan His way.

Praising God in Difficult Times

Questions to Ponder on Psalm 150

• Is there something preventing you from praising God? 

• If your answer is yes, what one step(s) can you take right now to praise Him?

• Can you think of two things you can do right now to show praise to God?

Prayer Guide for Psalm 150

Whether on the mountain top or in the valley, we always have something to praise God for. Even though Psalm 150 only has six verses, there is so much to glean from this last chapter of Psalms.

Praise: What worthy attributes of God do we see here?

Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Psalm 150:2 NKJV

Father, time and time again, You do mighty acts on my behalf. I praise You not only for those acts but also because of Your greatness. There is none like You. You along are God Almighty. You are also the lover of my soul. Thank you for lavishing Your great love on me.

Repent: What does this Psalm draw us to repentance over?

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Psalm 150:4 NKJV.

Father, forgive me for being timid to praise You in the sanctuary and in my home. I should praise You with complete abandon and not worry about what my family or church members think. I’m sorry for not worrying more about what You think. Thank you for forgiving me. 

Request: What do we need God’s help with based on this Psalm?

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD! Psalm 150:6 NKJV.

Father, help me have a heart of praise, even when things are hard and I don’t feel like praising. Remind me of Your gift of salvation and love. Those two alone are reason enough to praise You every day. 

Yield: What can I commit to God based on what I’ve read?

You are my hiding place; You keep me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah (Psalm32:7)

Father, I yield my worries, my will, and my life to You as an offering of praise. I surrender, my fear of what other’s think and choose to boldly praise You. You are my rock and my salvation. You are my hiding place. Thank you for teaching me about praise. I know You’ll help me to praise you more.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The above verse reminds me of a powerful song sung by the group Selah. The song is Hiding Place.

Short Daily Devotions from the Psalms

Guest Bio.

Norma Poore has lived through difficult circumstances, and allows her journey to fuel encouragement for the hurting. Her speaking and inspirational nonfiction are penned with honest transparency and hope from God’s Word. A respected member of the publishing community and she’s an award-winning author, as well as the managing editor for almostanauthor.com.  Married 40+ years, has six children, and fourteen of the most amazing grandchildren. Spending time with her loud and crazy family is Norma’s happy place. Connect with her at: NormaPoore.com,  Facebook: Norma K Poore