The Blessing of Praising God During Difficult Times: Stillness

Do you know how to be still – to trust God – when times are hard?  The ability to praise God in the storm comes and goes in my life.  Praising God during difficult times is hard but is key to learning to be still. 

Today, in our 40-day fast to be still, we will look at the blessing of praising God and how it prepares us for and helps us through every season.

Should We be Praising God During Difficult Times?

“Blessed and greatly favored are those who dwell in Your house and Your presence; They will be (Be Still) singing Your praises all the day long. Selah.” (Psalm 84:4 NASB) 

Psalm 84:4 uses the phrase “be still” in a different way than we’ve seen so far in our study.  In it, the Psalmist is full of longing to be in God’s House. What I find interesting about this longing is that it came in the midst of trials. 

The children of Israel know all about the difficulty and still, they worship.  It is beautiful really to see the example they set for us.

The Israelites were taught from birth about praising God during difficult times. We are also called to praise Him, no matter what the circumstances.

The Israelites were taught from birth about praising God during difficult times. We are also called to praise Him – no matter what the circumstances. Share on X

When Should We Praise God?

When was the last time you longed to be in church?

In America, there is a church on every other corner and most of us have a pastor or faith blogger in the family. So what’s the big deal about going to church and praising God during difficult times?

The religion of Christianity dictates that we go to church regularly but if that is where it ends for us we’ve missed the point.

The Israelites understood the blessing of being in God’s house. Being in God’s house was the way they entered into God’s presence.

The presence of God brings blessings that cover us in grace and feed our souls. 

Being in the temple was something Israelites longed for.  If they lived far from the temple they would make a long journey just to worship in the temple of God.

Something about being in God’s presence makes your heart and soul sing for joy. That is why we sing in God’s House.  The Psalmist seems almost jealous of the temple birds in our passage. 

Historians note that birds were kept in the temple to sing praise to God, and to add harmony to the singers as they worshiped.

Those birds lived in the temple, nested, and raised chicks in the temple.  Blessed Birds.  The envy of Israelites longing to worship God in God’s house was based in those things.

What is the Best Way to Praise God?

“Blessed is the person whose strength is in You,
In whose heart are the roads to Zion!
Passing through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring;
The early rain also covers it with blessings.
They go from strength to strength,
Every one of them appears before God in Zion.” (Psalm 84: 5-7 NASB)

Psalm 84 has a turning point from longing to praise God. We are then instructed about what to praise. We praise:

• God as our shield and strength.
• The warrior God of hosts on whom we can rely.

Do you see what God says about hard times here?  They will come, but we can rely on God to be our shield and defender.

Christians have the hope of Christ alive inside our souls because the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our body is the Temple of God. When we remember that, we can join in praising God during difficult times!  More than that, we will begin to praise God in all circumstances!!!!!

How Do You Get Faith in Hard Times?

When times get hard we can be tempted to lose faith, but if we lean into Him instead of walking away, our faith will grow. Blessing is on the other side. 

How do you get that faith in hard times? 

Praise God.  Yep, praising God in the midst of trouble is a powerful tool.  If you are the temple of God, that same joy you get when praising God in the church can come while praising God anywhere.

The power of praise in times of trouble is that His joy bubbles up inside of you. It covers you in peace.  After you’ve experienced that power you will say as I do, “I will praise God at all times.”

What God Says About Overcoming Obstacles

It’s one thing to read a few Bible verses about faith in hard times and say you will lean in and not run. It’s another thing to live it out daily and in hard times. 

When you’ve had a bad day that leads into a bad night; when everyone is sick and the youngest spikes a 102 temp, sending you to the urgent care all night, you can still praise God.

This Psalm says we should praise God in song.  Have you found it to be true? 

A well-planned playlist with my favorite Hillsong worship songs has been just the thing to help me keep my joy on those kinds of days.

Related: A Playlist of the Best Worship Songs For Anxiety relief and calming Stress.

Praise God in the Midst of Trouble

We can apply Psalm 84:4 with a simple mantra.  Praise God in the midst of trouble.  Praising the Lord always is how we learn to be still during difficult times.

Did you find this 40-day fast to learn how to be still mid-series? Check out the whole series here.

What Happens When We Praise God in Difficult Times?

Difficult times come, the difference between a hot mess and a holy calm for me is remembering that my God is bigger than my problem.

Believe me, I’ve asked the hard questions, maybe you have too… maybe you still are?

How Do You Overcome Hard Times?

When one hard thing is conquered, another is just around the corner.  That’s been our last decade. How about you?

Remember, God never promised us a comfortable, perfect life, He only promised to be with us through it all.

How can you overcome hard times? Remember:

• You are not alone in this.
• He has you.
• There will be something beautiful in your faith on the other side.

How Do You Stay Positive in Hard Times?

I just want to pause here for a moment.

Somewhere along the line, we bought the lie that Christianity is some kind of Hollywood fairytale where every story gets a happy ending.  That is not what redemption is about.

Christianity is not a fairytale, it’s an action movie. This life is not for the faint of heart. And spoiler alert: the hero… Is. Not. Me.

So, instead of trying to stay positive in hard times, let’s be still and trust God in hard times.  Not only will that help you stay faithful, it will set an example to help other’s faith grow.  It will live out the Bible for them to see and imitate. That kind of life will put you in the same league as the Bible characters who praised God no matter what.  

Singing Praises When Life is Hard Helps Us Be Still

Psalm 84:4 leaves me with more questions than answers (you’re shocked right?!?!).

Do you ever wonder what happens when you sing? Singing is a powerful way to be still, calm fear, and relieve anxiety.  

• Worship songs that praise God calm us.
• Praise songs refocus our thoughts. 
• We can praise God even in anxiety and find peace.

Corporate Worship Blesses You

There is a special kind of grace that comes when we gather together in church.  Have you ever noticed that? Even though we are the temple of God now, there is still a blessing when you worship in God’s house. 

Singing together with other Believers feeds your soul and encourages your heart.

I can google gospel songs about going through hard times alone in my car anytime. When we gather together, however, and worship God it is so much more powerful.

So yes, we need a playlist filled with praise and worship songs about fear and faith.  It is also truth thought, that we need to gather as the church body and song about needing God to get through the hard times together.

A Prayer to Be Still and Praise God In Difficult Times

Holy Spirit,

Thank you for being my shield and defender, the Lord of Hosts who fights for me and stays with me in hard times.  Forgive me for losing my first love, that fire that used to burn deep inside me driving me into Your presence like a schoolgirl with her first crush.  Rekindle that fire.  Help me long to be in Your house singing praise to You the way the Psalmist did.

Remind me that You are with me in every season.  You never leave me or forsake me in hard times.  Teach me to be still in that truth today.  I will glorify Your Name alone Father.

Amen.

Singing together with other believers feeds your soul and encourages your heart. Share on X

Will You Begin Praising God During Difficult Times?

Have you noticed a theme in this study of the phrase “be still”?  God never says to be still when life is easy.  We don’t really need to be reminded then thought, do we? 

I would challenge you to do a quick Google search of these and note how many Scriptures there are about hard times.

• Praising God in difficult times verses.
• Praise God in the storm Bible verse.
• Bible verses about faith and love in hard times.
• Bible verses stressful times.
• Praise God even in hard times verse.
• Bible verses about faith and healing.
• Bible verses about faith and trust.

Life is hard.  Period.  If we only praise God when life is easy, comfortable, and prosperous we will have little praise time.  No, God allows difficulties to come into our lives, and through them He grows us, molding us more into HIS image.

Will you decide today to begin praising God during difficult times? 

I’d love to pray over you if you make the choice.  Drop a comment below to let me know. 

in HIM,

If you enjoyed this article you will love these:

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• How to Keep Hope Alive as a Christian