God Sees You: Lessons From Leah a 5 - Day Plan by Kerry-Ann Lewisনমুনা

The Power of Praise

When I was younger, and my family was in a season of extreme financial difficulty, some workers from the Water Company came to my house to cut our water supply due to non-payment of the bill. I was home alone at the time. I began to do something that did not make any sense – I began to praise the Lord out loud. I realized that even if the water were cut, my God would provide the water we needed. Afterward, I decided to leave the house. I needed to get away from it all. As I passed by the workers, I spoke to one of them, and he explained the situation. But something interesting was happening – they could not find the valve to cut off the water! They finally left without being able to do what they had come to do. When my father got home, it turned out that he had paid some money on the bill, and the water did not, in fact, need to be cut. God had come through for us!

After going through her season of discouragement, Leah finally reached the point where she understood what she had to do – praise her God. Other efforts to get her husband’s love and attention through the birth of their children had failed. She now decided to turn to her God, the One who had opened her womb and given her this favor in the first place. Her words, “Now will I praise the Lord” (Genesis 29:35), were a sign of surrender as she chose to recognize the One who loved her. In so doing, she experienced blessings and favor greater than she could have ever imagined!

Praise in the midst of difficult situations can feel almost impossible to do. There is usually a greater desire to complain and to give in to discouragement. But, with God’s help, we can choose to praise the One who is able to bring good out of any bad situation. You see, God not only answers prayer but He answers praise. Praise has a way of helping us take our eyes off the problem and putting them on the One who is able to bring about the change needed. It is more powerful than we can ever imagine.

Prayer

God, forgive me for the many times that I focus on the problem instead of on You. Teach me to praise You despite what I am going through. I know You are the One to make a difference. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.