The Power of Godly Praise in Overcoming Doubt and Confusion

Praise should not exist subservient to our questions and nor play bridesmaid to our doubts and musings. God-centered praise stands uncontested above our thoughts, feelings, situations, circumstances, highs, lows, and everything in between.

This truth anchored in my spirit with increasing resolve during the writing of this book. If you’re anything like me, you’ve lived the questions too: Why is this happening? Where is God in this? What if nothing changes?

What if I never understand? These are rarely trivial musings—they are universally human. But the deeper I relate to our Awesome God, the more I’ve come to see that praise doesn’t wait for clarity. Praise leads. We should not wait until the fog lifts or the answers come. People talk about having a blind faith and I am certainly not advocating this. Instead, begin by anchoring yourself to the Holy Spirit inspired, tested, verified and validated truth in the Word of God and then allow this to inform your lived experience, not the other way around. Our lead pastor (Ps. Shawn Chaman – Colwood Church) recently spoke an incredible message on this unmistakable validity of the bible and it’s profound transformation on any listening heart that I would strongly encourage you to watch: Nothing can Separate Us from God's Love, Colwood Church.

Praise doesn’t deny these deep questions, but it refuses to bow to them. Praise may not completely erase doubt instantly, it definitely does not abdicate to it either. God-centered praise speaks with authority. And when we choose to praise the true God of Heaven and earth —even when we’re confused, heartbroken, numb, or wildly unsure—we’re not being naive. We’re actually stepping a greater degree of into spiritual maturity and action. We are acknowledging that God is still God, and ever deserving of our honor even though life might not make sense from our current vantage point.

Leah’s life story in Genesis 29 and 30 was full of very relatable questions. She was unloved, overlooked, and caught in the drama of someone else’s love story. Her first three children amplified her heart’s desire to be seen, loved and chosen. The names Leah bestowed on this trio profoundly illuminated the ache in her heart: Reuben (because the Lord has seen my misery), Simeon (because the Lord heard), and Levi (maybe now my husband will attach himself to me). These were not declarations of transcendent praise—but human laments of deep pain. Yet a choice was suddenly made. Something profound decisively shifted and reorientated her spiritual alignment. When her fourth son was born, she said, “This time I will praise the Lord” and she named him Judah.

She didn’t say her pain was gone. She didn’t declare that she’d finally received what she wanted. And she didn’t wait for the resolution of her checkered past — she resolutely drew a line in the sand and chose to praise God for what she understood to be true of His character and nature. History declares the impact of her courageous decision and Judah continued with this generational change give his progressive transformation of divine praise. This lineage heralded the line of David and culminates in Jesus, our Messiah, the divine incarnation and perfect embodiment of our highest praise.

That’s what praise does. It honors the reality of God instead of pandering to the “what-ifs” of life. It reshapes hearts, restores minds and transforms stories. It speaks a true and better word than our uncontested inner monologue would ever allow.

In today’s society, the call to ‘keep it real’ often flies in the face of our Christian mandate. Some might view praise as emotional denial or spiritual manipulation. But true praise is neither. It’s not pretending everything is fine—it’s intentionally proclaiming that God is still good, even when things aren’t. Why? Because we make the choice to focus on the Way Maker versus the problem, the Giver of life versus the father of lies.

There are times when we want answers, and we get silence. There are seasons when emotions flood us, and earthly logic fails. In those moments, we can either spiral inward or choose a different path heavenward. Praise always elevates God’s character and symbiotically draws our perspective higher too — not as an escape, but as a necessary recalibration.

It’s what Paul and Silas did in prison (Acts 16:16-40). Verse 25 says “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praise to God” after being badly beaten. They didn’t know if they’d survive the night, but they praised anyway. As is then recorded, God choose to act miraculously. Praise is what David did throughout the Psalms like in Psalm 63 which starts with deep lament but chooses to conclude in praise. It’s what Job did after losing everything yet speaks a greater truth in spite of his multiple tragedies. Job declares from grief’s pit, “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21b)

This kind of praise doesn’t come from emotional hype. It comes from an intentional God-focused resolve.

And here’s the surprising thing: when praise leads, peace follows. Maybe not as a revolutionary change to our own world, but a revelationary shift to the angst inside of us. In Luke’s account of Jesus birth, the concepts of praise and peace become interlinked. As one angelic messenger suddenly became a great company of heavenly host bringing the good news to some shepherds, their divine anthem sounded “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” (Luke 2:14) As the godly praise rose, God’s peace came down to dwell among us. What beautiful imagery!

So today, whatever season you are in - joyful, grieving, doubting, or somewhere in between - know this: your questions are real, your doubts are human. But…

Praise is powerfully transformative. It can release prisoners from their chains, change our perspective from earthly to heaven and settle our confusion. It reminds us of our unwavering allegiance to Jesus, our King of Kings. Choose not to be held captive to your feelings and questions. Choose to surrender them to the Lord of Lords and honor our Savior before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is sovereign over every authority above, on and under the earth to the praise of God our Father.