PAIN, PRAYER, PRAISE

Many of us tend to praise God after He has answered our prayers. Perhaps we have gone through a tough situation, God answered our prayer, then we praised and thanked God for helping us. But how often do we praise God before He answers our prayers?

King David was going through a tough situation. He prayed to God about it. But in the middle of his prayer he said these words:

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually,

“Let God be magnified!”

(Psalm 70:4, NKJV)

When praying through your pain, praise God.

There is nothing wrong with thanking God for His help after the fact, and praising Him after the fact. But it is a sign of spiritual maturity to praise God while you are still going through the difficulty. Praising God in this way reveals the true nature of praise. We praise God for who he is, not just for what he has done. Because He is good, merciful, loving, and powerful, He is willing and able to do what is truly in our best interest. We can praise Him before He answers, because we trust that He will do what is best and good in our situation.

When you find yourself in a painful situation, pray for God's help and praise Him ahead of His answer.