Praises and Prayers
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. – Hebrews 13:15
C. S. Lewis once said, “Praise is inner health made audible.” If you are having a difficult time praising God in your particular situation, there’s a good chance that there is some darkness on the inside of you that you have failed to deal with.
The good news is, God wants to remove that darkness in your life, and He wants you to learn what it means to experience the power of His presence in your life like never before. The only way to do that is by praising Him, regardless of what circumstances you’re currently facing.
Praise shows you what is on the inside. If you are having a difficult time praising God, it is probably because there is something going on within your heart that needs to be dealt with. There could be unconfessed sin. There could be doubt. There could be the struggle to trust God’s plan. There could be bitterness. The list goes on, because struggles are not in short supply for us while we are on this earth.
Life is hard enough, even when we have the Lord by our side through it all. But if you fail to deal with the darkness and unconfessed sin in your life, you’re going to feel more alone and isolated from God. When God feels far away, it can be extremely difficult to have a heart full of praise, worship, and gratitude. So don’t waste another second harboring the bitterness, anger, and darkness that comes with your sin. Confess and repent to your Father and He will forgive you.
Once you do that, you will find it is much easier to praise the Lord because you are in right standing with the Father, and nothing is more powerful than being aligned with the Spirit of God. I pray that is where you are. If not, I pray you take a step in that direction today.