Praise Before the Breakthrough
“Faith is a sure confidence of things that are hoped for, and a certainty of things that are not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Have you ever had a circumstance in your life that you wish would change? That you’ve prayed for and haven’t been given an answer? I know how painful and uncomfortable that can be. I’m in a similar spot right now, praying for a friend’s circumstances with no change in sight, and if I’m not careful, it’s easy to feel hopeless.
But God. Our God is a God of hope, one who has the ability to change and heal and restore and redeem. He is in every situation, no matter how dark it looks.
The truth is, I might be praying for my friend my whole life and never see a breakthrough. I’m not in charge of God’s timing; I don’t always get to see the bigger picture of how and why things are happening, but Romans 8:28 reminds us that “We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” I can trust that God is working even when I can’t see it.
Instead of holding onto the promise of results, I keep praying with faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. God is a healer, redeemer, and restorer, and even if I never see actual healing, redemption, or restoration in the hardest circumstances of my life, I can truthfully believe that He is good and in control.
One song I have on repeat as I pray for my friend is Bryan and Katie Torwalt’s “Praise Before My Breakthrough”. The chorus goes like this:
I’ll praise before my breakthrough / ’Til my song becomes my triumph / I will sing because I trust You / I will bring my heart, I will lift my song
I hope that if you find yourself in a circumstance like this where things feel hopeless, you remember that God is a god of hope, and that He’s worth praising, even before the breakthrough.