In China, a missionary was living a defeated life. Everything seemed to be touched with sadness and although he prayed and prayed for months for victory over depression and discouragement, his life remained the same.

As a result, he decided to leave his work and go to an interior mission station and pray until victory came. He reached the place and was entertained in the home of a fellow missionary. On the wall hung a motto with these words, “Try Thanksgiving.”

The words gripped his heart and he thought, “Have I been praying all this time and not praising?” He began to praise God and was so uplifted that instead of hiding away to pray and agonize for days, he immediately returned to his waiting flock to tell them that praise changes things. Wonderful blessings attended his simple testimony and the chains of depression that had bound others in his congregation were broken through praise.

And why shouldn’t we praise God? He deserves it. He loves us. He has provided salvation for us. He promises to always be with us.

Praise is profitable.

You cannot pout and praise at the same time.

You cannot worry and praise at the same time.

You cannot grumble and praise at the same time. You cannot give up and praise at the same time.

But you can rejoice and praise God at the same time.

Praise changes things!