Last month I attended the National Catholic Bible Conference, and it was a phenomenal weekend. The speakers were excellent and the talks were very inspiring. I think the workshop that touched me the most was Dr. Mary Healy’s talk on “The Power of Praise.”
Dr. Healy started by explaining the difference between praise and thanksgiving. We praise God for who he is, for his greatness and his faithfulness for instance. We thank him for what he does, for all the blessings he bestows on us. Both praise and thanksgiving are essential for our spiritual well-being, for that is what we were created for: to give praise and glory to God.
Praising God helps to put things in perspective. Our problems don’t seem so big when we recall who God is, the creator of the entire universe. He is bigger than any of our problems, and he always does what is best for us. He has a plan for each of our lives. He sees the big picture. We just need to trust that he knows what he’s doing.
I was especially touched when Dr. Healy said that praise “changes the spiritual landscape.” Praising God is so powerful that it actually makes the demons flee!
St. Paul exhorts us to praise and thank God continually, in all circumstances. If we make a habit of praising God in the good times, it will be much easier to do so in the rough times.
I have been trying to develop a habit of thankfulness in my own life, trying to find good in every situation. Like the song says, I’ve been trying to “accentuate the positive” and “eliminate the negative.”
Since the conference, I’ve also been trying to make a habit of praising God continually. When I pray, I try to start by praising God first, and I’m beginning to witness for myself the “power of praise.” Just in the last week, I’ve experienced several miracles which I attribute to praise and persistent prayer. Praise God, our creator and Lord!
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