Thoughts on Praise -Part 1

Acts 16:26  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened.


Life is good, right now. No drama from my middle schooler. No car accidents from my college kid. And my husband's chronic back pain is manageable. Praise the Lord. My husband received a bonus not too long ago. PRAISE the Lord. And our 23 year marriage is pretty good, no major meltdowns from my 14 year-old and the 20 year old recently got a job! Praise the Lord.


Not too long ago, it wasn't so easy to praise the Lord.  Within a 3 month period,  my son was in his second car accident, (fender bender, his fault, but not hurt) and received another speeding ticket. He's a great kid but his head had come unscrewed.  Then my daughter's best friend of 11 years decided she did not want to be her friend at all anymore. I cried with Laura for a day or two then we had to say enough and move on. Then this same "friend"  started bullying, total change of personality.  My daughter and I had to keep reminding ourselves of God's love for her.   There are other things too, money doesn't seem to stretch as far as it once did and of coarse all the cars had problems that needed fixing at the same time.   Needless to say, praising God was tougher. (i know they are those in worse situations,  put yourself here as you read. I hope it will give you encouragement)


Acts 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in a unforgiving situation.  Because they casted out a demon in a servant girl, her master brought charges against them.  They were whipped and thrown into a cell.  Not just any cell but the inner cell with no windows therefore no fresh air and  they were chained. Ca you inagine the filth, the stench in the air and the pain from the chains?  Yet scripture tells us that about midnight they were sing praises, songs and praying when suddenly God brought on an earthquake.  Their chains fell off, their jail doors swing open and they have the perfect opportunity to escape yet they choose to stay saving the life of the guardsman who was about to kill himself.  Instead Paul and Silas told him about the love of God and that night this guardsman and family receieved Christ as Savior.
Now, there are a ton of lessons one can learn from this passage but since we are talking about praise, I want to focus on the fact that Paul and Silas were praising God, singing songs, and praying inspite of they horible situation.  What a great example of praising God when life is not exactly Mr. Wonderful.  Praise is an expression of gratitude to God for all the wonderful things he has done. Praise is expressing thankfulness. It's, also, Showing Him how much he means to me.  Praise can be a song, a dance, hand motions, words of exaltation. Praise can be a quite smile given to Him or music from a quitar, piano, drums or the beat of spoons.


Praise is a choice; it's not a command. God doesn't need my praise to make him feel more Godly. (He can't be anymore God than he already is) but rather praise is for me to remember who God is. Praise is a reminder that in difficult situations, God is still in control. We have to remember all the good that is around us. (Look around and see the good.)


More about Laura and her "Friend." The very night her friend broke off relations, Amy, her brother's girlfriend, called to invited Laura to see a movie with her. Her treat. Laura loves Amy and Amy had no idea of 'broken friendship' situation.  Laura was glad to think about other things.  Another time when "Friend" was causing trouble, God showed up again.  This time, her brother, invited her to go with him to Sweet Frog , a favorite yogurt shop. "YES"  God did this 2 other times for Laura, until she could stand on her own.  She is still singing his praises for the comfort He brought her during those trying days.