Help me to praise You when I don’t feel happy, God

When life’s suffering brings us to our knees, we need God’s help in many ways. If you’re like me, emotions quickly cloud my thoughts. I need His help. Praising God in the midst of pain somehow doesn’t feel emotionally authentic. Am I feeling emotionally happy when I’m in physical agony? Am I feeling like dancing around the room and clapping when I can barely breathe from what feels like continual calamity and stress? 

Help me to praise You, God 

The Psalmists pray words like “help me to praise You” as they appropriately lament their suffering, recognizing that God delights to answer this prayer. Why? He tells us:

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting (Ps. 147:1).

Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the earth (Isaiah 42:10a).

Come, Thou Almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing,

Help us to praise.

Father, all glorious,

O’er all victorious,

Come and reign over us,

Ancient of Days.

(“Come, Thou Almighty King,” author unknown, before 1760)

Praising God when I don’t feel happy

In studying the Hebrew words for our translated word, “praise,” I recently learned we don’t need to feel happy in order to praise God. 

In the Bible, sometimes “praise” means to brag on God publicly (e.g., Ps. 35:18; 48:1; 69:30, 34; 117:2). 

Sometimes it means to worship with extended hands, a surrendering and confessing to God in relationship, with a need for affectionate intimacy with God, like a child (e.g., Ps. 43:4-5; 71:22; 89:5; 139:14; 2 Chron. 20:21). 

Sometimes we praise God’s renown, His attributes, His works (e.g., Ex. 15:11; Ps. 33:1; 35:28; 106:2).

Sometimes, praise is mingled with our loud thanksgiving (e.g., Ps. 69:30, 95:2, 100:4; Is. 51:3) as an offering or sacrifice. 

Sometimes it’s singing praise, with or without instruments (e.g., I Ch. 16:9; Ps. 9:11; Ps. 27:6; Ps. 33:2; Ps. 59:17).

Psalm 92:1 combines two of these Hebrew words:

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High (Ps. 92:1). 

This then could mean “it’s good to extend my hands, confessing my need for God, and to sing praise to God for who He is, to His name.” It’s good, even when I don’t feel happy.

Help me to praise You, God, for my hope in Jesus Christ

For me, it’s in our gospel hope that God enables me to find words of praise, as a believer enduring suffering. 

We can join the multitude of angels in praise to Him for Jesus Christ who incarnated (Lk. 2:13), whose death and resurrection made it possible for sinners to be reconciled to the thrice-holy God (Rom. 5:10). We can praise God as our heavenly Father, because He saved and redeemed us in Christ and has brought us into His kingdom, now and forever (Eph. 1:4-12). As Christians, we can praise God for His indwelling Holy Spirit who is always with us and working in us (Eph. 1:13-14). 

So, as we sing of our need, we can praise God for His character, to His name, and for His gospel work… at the same time!

Come, Thou Incarnate Word,

Gird on Thy mighty sword,

Our prayer attend.

Come, and Thy people bless,

And give Thy Word success;

Spirit of holiness,

On us descend.

Come, Holy Comforter,

Thy sacred witness bear

In this glad hour.

Thou who almighty art,

Now rule in every heart,

And ne’er from us depart,

Spirit of pow’r.

Please give me songs of praise to You, God

What songs might you offer back to God? Is your suffering threatening to squelch your song of praise? Do you need lyrics to give you words of praise as you acknowledge your deep need for His help?

Every week, I create a playlist of old hymns, Psalms, and new spiritual songs to give us words to sing as prayers. I pray this week’s playlist gift will help you to praise God, as you sing of your hope in Christ, into your suffering. This week, in particular, it is heavily influenced by my work as a music therapist and church music director/worship service planner.

And guess what? In my experience, praising God even helps my unhappy emotions as I suffer! I’m praying this playlist gift will help you as well! Just sign up here if it would bless you!

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