4 Ways to Worship When it's Hard

"Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Job 1:20-21

It's easy to sing our hearts out in worship when everything is going well. It's easy to work for God in our separate ministries when life is going our way. When finances are stable, our health is thriving and our families are united, yeah, it's easy to sing "bless the Lord, O my soul (Ooooohhh my soul)."

But when the music disappears and dark times come, how do we respond? When sickness rolls in and despair looms over our lives, what do we say to God? How easy is it to sing in church when we have been out of a job for 6 months? It's a harsh reality that all Christians face.

How do we keep worshiping God when it's not just hard but seems physically, mentally and emotionally impossible to do so?

1. Pray

Praying does more to us in its effects than it does to God. Prayer is our lifeline, and constant communication with God is a must to keep our souls healthy. And even though it may be tough to utter even the simplest prayer to God in our darkest hours, praying keeps us in touch with God and lets God know that we have enough faith to communicate with Him even though things may not be going our way. Quiet time in prayer also gives room to God to speak in our hearts and fill us with peace and assurance that He hears us and is not too distant from us. As Psalm 102:17 says, "he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer." He hears us and that is why we talk to Him.

2. Keep a Song in Your Heart

Music is powerful. It has the ability to change our moods and uplift our spirits. During his roughest patches, David cried out to God in a form of a song. And while it may be difficult and at times virtually impossible to sing our hearts to God, singing a song can help to recalibrate our spirits. Singing hymns and songs, even the dreary ones, can reinforce in our souls that there is yet still hope. Singing to God instead of staying within ourselves in despair shows that even through trials, we are willing to worship God.

3. Have Hope in the Promises

Reading the Scriptures reacquaints us with the loving nature of God through the promises He gives to His people. There are endless promises God gives us that in everything He is working for our good (Rom 8:28). It doesn't mean that everything will work out the way we want or expect them to, but the Bible tells us that God is always on our side and whatever outcome we face (yes, even death) is ultimately for our good should we see it in God's perspective.

Below are just some examples of the beautiful promises found in the Scriptures:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Rom 8:28, NIV

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You." - Psalm 9:10, NASB

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” - Deut 31:6, ESV

4. Let Christ be Enough

For Job, whether God gives or God takes away, he still chose to worship Him. In the face of losing everything that he had, Job still chose to worship God. He managed to do this because for him, Christ is enough as he says, "For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth." Thus, he was able to worship God even though he went through something unimaginable for us today.

The same sentiment was reflected in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego's statement that "Even if He does not" in speaking about God providing rescue to their current predicament, they will still choose to do what was right in God's eyes which is in itself a form of true worship.

Having Christ as enough in one's life no matter what one goes through shows the maturity of one's faith. As the Desert Song says, "All of my life, in every season, You are still God. I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship."

Let Us Worship

Let us worship God even and especially through our darkest times. Even during our dreary days, we have reason to worship because our God is all-sufficient, all-loving, all-providing, and all-sovereign and His righteousness and goodness in every situation deserves our unadulterated praises.