S abbath A fternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Phil. 4:4–7, Josh. 5:13–6:20,
Psalm 145, Acts 16:16–34, 2 Chron. 20:1–30.
Memory Text: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!”
(Philippians 4:4, NKJV).
It’s always easy to shout with joy to the Lord when we feel joy. It’s
not so easy, however, when things are bad, when we are in the worst
situations imaginable, when the crucible heats up. Yet, it’s precisely
then that we need—perhaps more than ever—to praise God, for praise
is a means of helping us sustain faith.
Indeed, praise can transform even our darkest circumstances, maybe
not in the sense of changing the facts around us, but in the sense that
it can change us, and those around us, in a way that helps us face chal-
lenges.
Praise is faith in action. It may not always be natural to us, but when
we practice praise so that it becomes a natural part of our lives, it has
the power both to convert and to conquer.
The Week at a Glance: What is praise? How could praise
be such a powerful spiritual weapon in difficult circumstances?
How can praise transform us and the situation around us?
