Praising God Through Your Trials

Acts 16:19-30  (NLT)
¹⁹ Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. ²⁰ “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. ²¹ “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”
²² A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. ²³ They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. ²⁴ So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
²⁵ Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. ²⁶ Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! ²⁷ The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
²⁹ The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Have you learned to praise God even during your trials?  In the passage of scripture above, verse 25 says that around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening. 

Wow! What a powerful testament of their love for God and their faith in Him.  Paul and Silas had been stripped and severely beaten with wooden rods and thrown into prison, yet they found it in their hearts to sing and praise God.  I am sure that this was comforting and encouraging to Paul and Silas as well as the other prisoners that were within the sound of their voices. Can you imagine how astonished their fellow prisoners probably were at the inner joy that they possessed?  

Praise God Daily       

Psalm 18:3 (NLT)
³ I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
Psalm 50:23 (NLT)
²³ But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.
If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.”
Revelation 4:11 (NLT)
¹¹ “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things,  and they exist because you created what you pleased.”
Isaiah 43:7 (NLT)
⁷ Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory.  It was I who created them.’”
Psalm 148:5 (NLT)
⁵ Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.
Psalm 86:12 (NLT)
¹² With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever,
Our Praise reveals that we trust God
Psalm 56:4  (NLT)
4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  What can mere mortals do to me?
Praise is a sacrifice that pleases God and it should be continual.
Hebrews 13:15  (NLT)
15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
Psalm 34:1-3 (NLT)
1 I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.

How often during your day or even your week, do you take a few minutes to acknowledge how great our God is?  Even better yet, how often do you go to Him, just to praise Him, not seeking or asking for anything of Him in return.