Have you ever had a really good cry? You know, the guttural cry that takes your breath away, the cry you think could last all day?

The tears won’t stop, and the more they flow, the more they show — revealing the source of the heartache, exposing the place of the pain.

I’ve had a few of those lately. Maybe you have, too.

I know my tears never have nor will they ever bring people back, annihilate evil, calm chaos, change minds, or mend broken hearts, and yet, that’s the reason many of them fall...

The brokenness of this world keeps breaking me down. I know it’s likely breaking you down, too.

When the tears fall and my heart cries out to God to save the lost, expose the evil , calm the storms, change minds and lives, heal the hurting, and mend the broken...

It’s then that I witness the power of praise on the harder days.

In Psalm 22, David reminds himself as he cries out to God, and we should let it remind us, too, God literally inhabits the praise of His people. He dwells in our praise. Our praise enthrones Him.

So, when we are down, the most powerful thing we can do is lift Him up. When we do, we can experience the power of His presence, and in His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11), and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10)...

The power of praise on the harder days.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” ~ Isaiah 61:1-3

What can you praise Him for today?