Hiya my lovelies, and welcome to another An Inquisitive Mind post where Illumination flows through Christ.

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Having only just entered into the fourth month of 2026, I feel like so many great things have happened already – both in my life and in the lives of those around me.

While I am grateful for this, I am also conscious this may not be the reality for everyone in this season.

To be transparent, that doesn’t mean everything has been easy or perfect. There have been areas where I’ve been stretched, challenged and required to trust God more deeply.

I understand that there may be some goals or plans you may have wanted to have achieved by now, and perhaps they have not yet happened. Through this you may have started believing in the lie that it won’t happen at all but I wanted to encourage you to ‘Praise Him anyway’.

Praise is intentional

Firstly, let us reflect on what does it mean to praise? and what power can carry?

In Acts 16:16-26, we can see Paul and Silas evangelising and casting a demon out of a woman. This created upset for some around them, leading Paul and Silas being dragged into court and thrown into prison.

Whilst they were beaten and mistreated instead of them becoming downcast they chose to pray and sing praises to God (25).

How incredible is that? Despite the pain they must have felt and the embarrassment they must have experienced, they chose to praise – and the other prisoners were listening.

Then suddenly, something happened. Through their praise we can see the doors opened and everyone’s chains fell off.

Through this we can see that with their choice to praise had also blessed the other prisoners around them. This then highlights our decision to praise and pray can impact those around us.

Praise is intentional and because of God’s love for us, we have freewill – so the choice is ours.

This then leaves us to reflect on what is discouraging us? and will we choose to praise Him anyway?

In Psalm 148, we are called to praise the Lord. Every creation, everything that has breath must praise the Lord – the Creator of the universe.

So, who is He to you?

The Lord is a way maker and provider of peace. When I reflect on my life, I can see He has never failed me. This has helped me to realise He has full control over everything – over all creation – so why would He not have control over what I am going through?

He is the Lord Almighty – our strength, our defender and our rock. He is Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Jireh, El roi, El Shaddai…. We all have encountered God in different ways and in different seasons.

So, don’t be discouraged.

When things may not go according to our set plan our hearts can grow weary. This can come from unmet expectations whether from others, from ourselves or even from what we thought God would do.

I would encourage you to speak to yourself and that situation that is causing restless nights.

Trust in Him and choose to praise Him again (Psalms 42:11).

Proverbs 13:12 reminds us ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick…’. yet Proverbs 16:9 tells us that ‘Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand‘.

We can receive reassurance that even when things don’t go our way, the Lord has a plan and purpose for us. This of which is for good and not of evil or harm, one to prosper us not to cause us to fail (Jeremiah 29:11).

Prayer

I pray that we will continue to draw nearer to God, who will give us strength to see Him at work in our lives. When things feel hard and difficult, I pray that we will pause to pray and praise Him despite our circumstances.