When seasons of darkness linger, it can be difficult to raise our voices in hallelujahs.
My own darkness came during a long season of physical and emotional pain brought on by chronic illness. Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome both robbed me of the ability to care for myself beyond my basic needs. And with my husband’s job keeping him out of town more than at home, I found myself alone for days on end.
On one particularly tough day, after seven days and six long nights alone, I felt the taupe walls of my living room closing in on me. With tears streaming, I cried out to God, “Lord, please help me.” A hush filled the room as I heard the Spirit whisper to my heart, “Praise me here.”
Immediately recalling the story of Paul and Silas’ time in prison, I opened the pages of my Bible to read. After being beaten by a mob, Paul and Silas were thrown into the inner prison with their feet fastened in stocks (Acts 16:24). They were bruised, writhing in pain, stuck, and surrounded by harsh conditions.
I felt the same.
The next words I read were fresh water to my thirsty soul: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bonds were unfastened” (Acts 16:25-26).
Midnight––the darkest hour––found Paul and Silas praying and singing. Surely they were exhausted and wounded, but they made the choice to lift their voices to the Creator.
What happens when we praise God in the dark? Paul and Silas’ story points us to three truths: God becomes bigger than our troubles, frees us from the shackles of despair, and is shown to those around us.
God Becomes Bigger than Our Troubles
We don’t know what hymns Paul and Silas sang in the dark, but today we have access to the hymns of the Old Testament––the Psalms! There are many psalms that speak to our need to meet God in the darkness of our own experience, and there were several that encouraged me on my own dark day:
By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:8)
Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalm 36:5)
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea. (Psalm 46:1-2)
With lifted hands and closed eyes, I began recounting all the things I could praise God for: his steadfast love, his grace that saved me, his faithfulness, his goodness, and his provision of all my needs.
As I focused on the character of God as declared in his Word, my troubles stepped aside, ushering the presence of Christ into my darkness.
Focusing on God’s steadfast love, his faithfulness, his strength, and his help in trouble brings his goodness front and center in our minds and hearts. It restores our hope and gives us the courage to keep holding on, pressing in, and never give up. In our hearts, God becomes bigger than the trouble we face.
God Frees Us from the Shackles of Despair
Praise is a powerful weapon that we often forget to wield, but the act of praising shakes prison foundations and sets captives free.
One Old Testament hymn exclaims, “The LORD sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous” (Psalm 146:7-8). These truths are what Paul and Silas anchored their hearts to, and so did I.
That day years ago began with my head hung low in despair, yet as I praised the Lord the eyes of my soul were lifted to the great promises of my God. The light of Jesus pierced through my darkness and gave me the strength to declare that––though chronic illness was my cross to bear––it could not keep me bound to hopelessness and defeat. Like Job, I affirmed, “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold” (Job 23:10).
God Is Shown to Those Around Us
Something that stood out to me about Paul and Silas’ story is that, although their prison chains were loosened, they did not get up and walk out of the prison.
They used this miraculous opportunity to point their jailer to salvation in Jesus Christ. The jailer, knowing that he had witnessed the power of the true living God, asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved” (Acts 16:30)? And although he was still physically inside of an earthly prison, it was then that the jailer was set free from his spiritual prison of death and unbelief.
Sometime after that dark day, I received a phone call from a family member who was facing both internal and external obstacles. Immediately, I recalled and shared what God had taught me when he asked me to praise him in the darkness. I told her of his goodness, faithfulness, and power that had met me in the middle of my prison of despair. By the end of our call, her heart was stirred to hope again.
Looking back on my long season of struggle with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and specifically on that day that felt so dark, I see that God allowed me to gain something far greater than instant healing. He gave me himself. He gave me the assurance that no matter how pitch black the night seems, when I choose to praise him, things change: he is elevated far above my circumstances, prison chains fall to the ground, and others can be blessed by my testimony.
Reflection and Application
What circumstances of your life seem to surround you in darkness? Pray and ask the Lord to help you begin to praise him for who he is in the middle of your struggle.
How can remembering the goodness of God and his promises prompt your heart to praise even in the darkest hours?
In the coming days, when it’s difficult to praise God, turn to the Word for a reason to rejoice. Read these verses for encouragement:
- Psalm 42:8
- Psalm 46
- Psalm 146:8
Rosann Coulon has experienced disappointment, pain, and loss. Through it all she has learned that God is faithful. Her desire is to spread biblical hope and encouragement to those living in hard seasons. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and family. Rosann has written for various online publications, includingGather at Dawn,Just Between Us, andCalla Press. You can connect with her at LeavingAWell.com.
