Our team was struggling a bit. With several other people, we were trying to start a church in Luxembourg City and at one time or other we had team members from at least three different countries helping us in our coffee house/street outreach.
One young lady was going through a particularly tough moment and decided to go home. That can happen to anyone, but I felt that in this particular situation it would be a spiritual setback for her. She needed to fight through.
I talked with her and helpfully gave her a cassette of a message that a pastor had sent me. Maybe this would help her respond in faith to her trial.
The message was called, “How To Run With Horses.” God questioned Jeremiah basically asking, if you can’t run against men how are you going to run against horses? If you can’t win in little trials, what are you going to do in a big trial?
But, I made a mistake and put the wrong message in the plastic box that held the cassette. The box title read, “How To Run With Horses,” but the message taught about the power of praise.
The young lady and her team partner listened to the message, then got on their knees and began to put it in practice. Praises filled their little apartment as they glorified the Lord Jesus with their whole hearts.
You know what? The discouragement left. The young lady finished her term, doing a good job for the Lord. Sometimes trying harder doesn’t get it. We just have to get on our knees and praise the One who made us–our Father.
Sometimes: “Rah! Rah! Rah! We can do it! Put on your big boy pants,” etc is not what we need. We just need to say, “God, I’m so weak. Oh, how I need your strength.” Then begin to praise Him.
There is power in praise. His strength fills us.
“Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psa 149:5-9)
Um, maybe instead of trying harding and falling on your nose again, you could just fall to your knees like my friends and begin to love the Lord Jesus. Who knows what might happen!
Do you find that praising God adds power to your life? Share with us how God has strengthened you through praise in the response area below.
Hmmm …
“Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.”
~ Doug Larson