Written by Jennifer Tucker, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from her book “Present in Prayer.”
How do you praise God when the healing you’ve been praying for doesn’t come, or when that job you wanted falls through? Or when a friend ghosts you or your spouse leaves or you lose someone you love? How do you praise God when you’re drowning in the depths of depression or when your mind is flooded with anxiety or when your body is suffering in chronic pain? Praise is not reserved for only the pretty moments of life or the days we deem good enough. We praise God not because of our circumstances but because of His character. Genuine praise is dependent not on how we feel but on who He is. Praise is the ground that steadies all our prayers. Praise roots our prayers in hope as it grounds our hearts and minds in God’s constant presence and abiding love. Praise helps us remember. As we pray for healing or cry out for help, we praise Him as we remember His past provision. As we lament the pain and suffering that surrounds us, we praise Him as we remember His presence with us right now. As we tell Him our worries and our fears, we praise Him as we remember His future promises… It can be easy to praise God in wide generalities and simply say, “Thanks for everything, God.” But it can be a powerful practice to do like the psalmist and turn our thoughts to specific times when God has provided for us, letting our praise be filled with the smaller details of His goodness and grace in our lives. When we remember what God has done, we gain courage to trust what God will do.
Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He did for me. For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke. [Psalm 66:16-17]
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