How can you turn your eyes to God and sing his praises when life is hard? Where do you find words of praise and thanksgiving when your heart is full of sorrow and struggle? Bible verses about praising God can help guide your prayers in these times.
In Psalm 34, David reminds us that we should praise God through the good times and bad. Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances – especially when we are walking through seasons of great trials.
Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard. Make the choice to fill your heart with words of praise and thanksgiving for God. Turn your eyes to him and allow him to surround you with his love and strength.
When You Feel Surrounded, Fight Your Battles with Praise
When the struggles begin to close in, you may find yourself without the words to pray, unable to find those words of prayer and praise. When I don’t have the words to pray, I turn to Bible verses about praising God and use those to pray through God’s Word.
Start somewhere. Begin with a Bible verse of praise, a pre-written prayer, or even a worship song. Lean on the words of others until you find your own.
I pray you’ll be encouraged and take hope in God’s power, even as the battles seem to close in around you. Remember that God is surrounding you!
20 Bible Verses About Praising God in Hard Times
When you need to find words of praise on those hard days when your heart is heavy and it’s a struggle to see the blessings, lean on words of praise from the Bible. Use these timeless Bible verses about praising God in your prayers until your heart can find its own words. Below are 20 verses of praise to help you get started.
1) Psalm 34:1-4 (NIV)
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
2) Isaiah 57:15 (NIV)
For this is what the high and exalted One says –
He who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place,
But also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
To revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.”
3) Acts 16:25-26 (NIV)
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.
4) Psalm 35:28 (NIV)
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
your praises all day long.
5) Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NIV)
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.
6) Psalm 103:1-6 (ESV)
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7) Hebrews 13:15 (NIV)
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
8) Psalm 30:1-4 (NIV)
I will exalt you, Lord,
for you lifted me out of the depths
and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
Lord my God, I called to you for help,
and you healed me.
You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead;
you spared me from going down to the pit.
Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people;
praise his holy name.
9) Psalm 95:2-3 (ESV)
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
10) 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
11) Psalm 16:7-8 (NIV)
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
12) Psalm 69:30 (ESV)
I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
13) Psalm 63:3-4 (NIV)
Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.
I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.
14) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
15) James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
16) Psalm 59:16-17 (ESV)
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
17) Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV)
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
18) Revelation 21:4-5 (ESV)
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
19) Psalm 71:22-24 (ESV)
I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.
And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt.
20) Psalm 150 (ESV)
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Surrounded – a 14-Day Devotional to Fight Your Battles with Praise
Are you facing battles in your life? Living through a stormy season?
Wish you could take to heart these Bible verses about praising God in the storm? Want to explore further how God is by your side through it all? Why praising God through your worst days is the best battle plan you have?
Get the Surrounded Devotional – 14 days of exploring how God is with you in the storm and learning how to fight your battles by praising God. Plus, get a set of printable prayer and scripture cards, including these 20 Bible verses for praising God in hard times.
