I promise to value praise more than before. Praise is the natural out-growth of trust. The one who truly believes will automatically praise God. Before, I thought praise should come after the act was done. I asked, God answered, so I praised. But this is weak, sickly praise. Jesus thanked His Father before He raised Lazarus. I should look at problems, difficulties, impossibilities, and then praise God ahead of time for the opportunity of glorifying His name. If Romans 8:28 is still in the Bible, and believable, then praise should characterize my life.
Difficulties, to the Christian, are only miracles that have not yet happened. Faith cannot tell time very well. To say we should praise only after the miracle has occurred makes no sense to faith. Faith means God will just as much as God has.
So if I am to always believe, then I should always praise, since perfect trust eliminates worry and anxiety and fills me with good feelings.
To live a life full of praise, I must thank God for evil circumstances as well as thank Him when I am in evil circumstances. The difference is whether I am going to endure evil or make it a vehi- cle of blessing. The Bible tells me that God is not complacent about evil, but He uses it for a greater good.
When God surrounds me with harassments, He is preparing me for a breakthrough to victory and growth that He could not accomplish in any other way. So, in a sense, evil circumstances are my friends and I should welcome them as much as David welcomed the lion and the bear, which made him ready for Goliath. If I welcome them, I will praise; and if I praise, they are no longer my enemies but my conquests. Therefore, as James advises, I will “rejoice and jump for joy” when surrounded by impossibilities (James 1:2, author’s trans).
“Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and praise is becoming” (Psalm 147:1).
Daily with the King 