Turning despair to praise. Recently, I was praying with a group of friends about the many heavy-hearted things happening in our community, state, and country. I bet you’re doing this a lot, too. At one point, a friend stopped and said she felt as if the energy in her body was being drained. She asked if we were experiencing the same thing, and the other person praying with us said, ‘Yes.’

Although I wasn’t experiencing this, God gave me a sense of what was happening and shared that we should praise the Lord. As soon as we began to praise the Lord for His goodness, they both began to feel better.

Interestingly, the Holy Spirit began pressing this very idea into my mind and heart while I was praying with members of the same group the week before. As we prayed, God reminded me of the Old Testament and how the people of that time viewed God.

Many people of the OT were oppressed, used to the Prophets bringing bad news, and only recognized God’s justice and wrath rather than His mercy and grace. Knowing that God hadn’t spoken through the Prophets for four hundred years, the people longed for refreshment and a Savior by the time Jesus came to this world. Even when God gave the Holy Spirit to the people after Jesus’s death, they still walked in despair, just like we are now with the daily diet of bad news from the media.

As I prayed about this throughout the week, the Holy Spirit revealed that praise is a cure for despair. My hope and prayer is that it’s a key to revival, too. Many stories throughout the Scriptures describe people who fixed their eyes on God and His goodness, making their circumstances manageable. Because their focus was on the Lord, they found hope even when their situations felt hopeless.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,  that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever! Psalm 30:11-12 (NLT)

Friend, I don’t know what heavy-hearted burdens you carry for yourself or others today. But let me encourage you: Praising Jesus is good for your Soul. When we lean into God’s very nature, He lifts us up. The very act of worshipping Him connects us to His Spirit living within us. We can stand in His presence because Jesus paved the way. Using scripture, the Names of God, His Attributes, and Character in prayer softens the level of our pain and suffering because our focus is on Him. This will help in turning your despair into praise!

Lord, we thank You for the ability to lift Your name and experience gratitude for how gracious and great You are. We are so grateful that praise is the cure for despair. Jesus, please lead us to praise You daily and a life of glorifying You. Please turn our despair into praise and our mourning into dancing as Your Word says. Show us how to worship You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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Additional Encouragement

Joyful are people of integrity who follow the instructions of the Lord. 2 Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts. Psalm 119:1-2 (NLT)

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. ¹² I praise you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. Psalm 119:11-12 – Read the Full Chapter

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