Let All That I Am Praise the Lord - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - June 13, 2025
"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." Psalm 103:1-2 (NLT)
It was a typical Sunday. The lights were dimmed. People raised their hands in the masses. And I stood on the stage singing song after song about God's goodness. But the more I sang, the worse I felt. A chill ran down my spine as I wondered, Am I a fraud for singing these songs when I feel nothing inside?
On the outside, life was good. I was engaged to the love of my life, planning a wedding, and figuring out how to adult. But on the inside, I was crumbling. Anxious, depressed, and physically sick. I was weary from hopeless doctors' appointments, unanswered prayers, and vague diagnoses. Instead of praise lifting me, I felt like a fake. Have you ever felt that way?
The next few months were a daze. Every week, my emotions grew worse and worse. It wasn't until I took some time off the worship team that I realized this: I'm not fake for praising God when I don't feel like it. Why? Because I’m not praising my circumstances. I’m praising who God is amidst them.
No matter what we face in life, God is still God, and He is still good. As a child and teenager, I think I understood this. Life happened, and yet I remained fully reliant on the Lord. I can recall countless memories of failed relationships and tears. Bad things happening in my family or personal life. And yet, I would praise. I would lie on my bed, throw up my hands, and play the song "Thy Will," by Hillary Scott. Tears would stream down my face as I surrendered my pain, again and again.
In those moments of breaking, peace would wash over me. The pain wasn't taken from me, but I knew that something beautiful was being birthed. The waiting would be worth it. The unanswered prayers had a reason. The circumstances would be used to teach me something in the future.
When mental and physical pain entered my life, however, I grew shaken. How could I learn to stand when my mind and body were physically being taken from me? How would I have the strength to praise when my strength was slowly dissipating? How could I stop feeling fake when I felt nothing at all?
Today, I wish I could tell you that praising God when you don't feel like it is easy. I wish I could tell you that every time something bad happens, my initial response is worship. But it isn't. I have to fight my flesh to say, "Lord, I praise you, even though I don't understand." And yet, I want you to be encouraged by this: Choosing to praise regardless of life's circumstances isn't natural. It's a choice we have to make. But that's okay. That's part of obedience.
Yes, it's most likely going to feel unnatural or fake. But that doesn't make you a fraud. And over time, it does get easier. I don't know how, but with practice, it becomes more and more natural. Your flesh and spirit stop fighting one another and learn to praise Him, no matter what. Not because it's easy, but because it's what our spirits were created to do.
Friends, I'm learning to find my voice again. I'm learning to sing in the middle of the storm. I'm learning that even when I don't feel like it, He is worthy of my praise. And that doesn't make me "fake." It makes me human. A human surrendered fully to Him, when life feels good, and when it doesn't.
This week, when you're feeling low or facing something hard, play worship music and sing at the top of your lungs. Even if you don't feel like it, force yourself to sit with God in the questioning.
Let's pray:
Dear Jesus, praising you when life is good is easy. But when life turns sour, it's much harder to reconcile our thoughts and actions with our feelings. When we struggle to worship you, please remind us that praise is a choice. It's going to feel unnatural, but that doesn't make us fake. Show us how to authentically worship you in every season. Show us how to choose praise even when it's hard. We love, praise, and thank you, Lord. Amen.
Agape, Amber
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
