Praise God on the Mountain and in the Valley

Praise is recognizing, appreciating, and expressing God’s greatness. Praising God seems easier to do when life is going good, but how about when life is not so good? How often do you praise God? Do you praise Him only on Sunday mornings during worship service? Or do you praise God every day? Do you praise God when everything is going your way, or do you praise Him no matter what kind of storms and trials you may be going through.

What the Bible Says About Praising God

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth. Psalm 66:1 NLT

The word “praise” is used 214 times in the New and Old Testaments. References to praising God are mentioned almost 7,000 times in the entire Bible. David wrote about praising God in almost every Psalm he wrote. We see that even when he was in the midst of difficult situations, David praised God. Even when he was being chased by King Saul and his army, David praised God. We should be like David and praise God no matter what our circumstances are.

Paul and Silas

The book of Acts tells an amazing story about Paul and Silas. They were preaching the Word of God to the people, and they were arrested for being a public nuisance.

They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. – Acts 16:23-25

There they were in a filthy, Roman prison, lying on a cold, hard floor. In the middle of the night as they lay there wounded, bleeding, and in pain, they began praying and singing songs to God. Paul and Silas were praising God in the midst of horrific circumstances. Praising God in the midst of their agony!! They were not complaining and crying over the unfair treatment they had endured.  They were not talking about escape or planning their revenge. The Bible says they were praising God!  

Be honest with yourself for a minute. What would you have done? Would you have reacted to the unjust, cruel treatment like Paul and Silas did? Or would you have been lying there moaning and groaning, wondering why God allowed this to happen, feeling like God abandoned you? Some of us may have been tempted to say, “Preaching about Jesus got us in this mess. If they will let me out of here, I won’t mention his name again!” 

Most of us have not experienced anything even close to what Paul and Silas endured in that prison cell. Yet even in our days of slight discomfort or disappointment, we complain more than praise. We tend to question or blame God instead of recognizing His goodness and omnipotence. Furthermore, we tend to give up instead of declaring that we can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Praise God Before The Provision

Let’s take a look at what happened while Paul and Silas were singing praises to God in that prison cell.

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. Acts 16:26-27 NLT

Paul and Silas praised God BEFORE God provided a solution.   They didn’t wait until after God had made a way for them to get out of prison. Paul and Silas had no idea that God was going to use a natural disaster as the means for them to gain their freedom. They did not know how long they would be in that cell or what dangers lay ahead for them. However, they praised God regardless of their circumstances.

Don’t we tend to praise God AFTER He provides an answer to our prayers? After He gives us what we need?  We need to give Him praise BEFORE the provision!   Paul and Silas did just that, and God heard their praises and saw the depth of their faith in Him.  God caused an earthquake that literally brought down the prison walls all around them.  God tore down everything that was holding them captive.   

What would our lives look like if we walked in obedience and praised God with every breath, in every moment?  What ground shaking miracles could happen if we gave God the praise that He deserves!

Why We Should Praise God

There are so many reasons why we should praise God. We should praise Him because He is our creator. God created every beautiful thing we see in this world we live in. He created the beautiful, blue waters in the oceans and all of the sea creatures within it. He created the planets that orbit the sun in a harmonious pattern and all the twinkling stars we gaze at on a moonlit night. Every plant that grows and every precious animal was created by Him. We have God to thank for every person we love and every child we have been given. If all of that is not reason enough, here are some more.

He is a holy, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. He is merciful, forgiving, just, and slow to get angry. Every good thing comes from Him, and He loves us with an unfailing love. God sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for us so that everyone who believes in Him can be saved and spend eternity with Him in heaven. He never leaves us, and He never forgets about us. He wants nothing more than for us to walk side by side with Him every day.

Why WOULDN’T we praise Him?!

How Can We Praise God

We can praise Him with singing.

Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful! – Psalm 147:1 NKJV

Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. – Psalm 68:4 NLT

We can praise Him with dancing and musical instruments.

Praise him with a blast of the trumpet; praise him with the lyre and harp! Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. – Psalm 150:6 NLT

And David danced before the Lord with all his might. – 2 Samuel 6:14 NLT

We can praise Him by lifting our hands.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and praise the Lord. – Psalm 134:2 NIV

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. – Psalms 63:4 NIV

We can praise Him when we speak.

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. – Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. – Psalm 145:21

When Should We Praise God

When we are afraid. But when I am afraid, I put my trust in you. O God, I praise your word. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? – Psalm 56:3-4 NLT

When we are discouraged. Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God! – Psalm 43:5 NLT

When we have been treated unfairly. Give great joy to those who have stood with me in my defense. Let them continually say, “Great is the Lord, who enjoys helping his servant.” Then I will tell everyone of your justice and goodness, and I will praise you all day long. – Psalm 35:27-28 NLT

When He answers our prayers. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.– Luke 18:4

At all times. I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. – Psalm 34:1-2 NLT

We should praise God at all times, even during difficult times. When we love and trust God, we can praise Him regardless of our circumstances. God is worthy and deserves our praise, even when our life is a mess. In many of the Psalms, David cries out to God in despair, and He also praises God. We can do the same! Pour your heart out to Him and give Him praise!

Praise Him.

Praise Him.

Praise Him in the morning.

Praise Him in the noon time.

Praise Him.

Praise Him.

Praise Him when the sun goes down.

Praise Him, by Carman

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

The Doxology, by Anthem Lights