This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalms 118:24 (NKJV)
We do not praise God because He needs it. Praise is about strengthening you.
God will never push His way into first place in your life; you have to put Him there. Praise puts God in first place. If you praise Him in the midst of fear, pain and sadness, you place Him above whatever difficulty you are going through. Sad times are not the only time to praise Him. When you praise Him in the good times and give Him the credit for your blessed life, you experience even more joy!
Praise is also an expression of faith. God’s power flows into you when you praise Him and confess His promises into your life. Praising Him strengthens your faith and helps you remain rock solid in your beliefs.
Praise has to be a conscious choice. You will not always feel like praising Him. Psalm 118:24 does not say “I’ll rejoice when I feel like it,” or “I might rejoice.” It says “I will.” Praise is a decision you must make, in both good and bad times. Hebrews 13:15 says “let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.”
Praise is actually a sacrifice we make, which means it can be difficult at times.
Today you might rather feel sorry for yourself than praise Him. Or you may prefer to go off and enjoy the good season you are in without giving Him a passing thought.
Decide to praise God anyways today. It is the best decision you will make!