Like oxygen and a pulse, like food and drink, a relationship with God is not something to take for granted, but an essential, habitual part of living. When life is good, do we spend time in relationship with God or do we leave our faith stowed in the overhead compartment or like an oxygen mask in an airplane, for use in emergencies? If praising God is not part of our everyday habits, our faith may be out of reach when circumstances threaten us so much that God is our only comfort. This is as true for us as it was for many well-known characters in the Bible: David is a good example.

Once he was anointed by Samuel to be Israel’s king, David spent years transitioning from shepherd boy to king. Between his anointing and the long-awaited actualization of God’s purpose in his life, David was often on the run. Many of his psalms were written out of despair, and these songs give us a peek into his diary.

In Psalm 18, David was discouraged, alone, and tired of waiting for God’s promise to become his reality. This song (psalm means song) swings back and forth on an emotional pendulum, from David feeling desperately apart from God to the confidence of who he was in God.

David chose to begin with praise: “you are my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, and my strength,” and declared his trust that God was all these things for him even though he had to hide to survive. This is significant: in a desperate situation David used praise as a weapon against his own fear and despair. He declared to himself and to any listeners, “I will not be afraid, for I have faith that the Lord is with me.” David sang words of praise to convince himself to let go of fear, to live in God’s purpose, and to remember that God held him in His hands.

This weapon works for us as well. Whether we are inwardly depending on our own strength or outwardly overwhelmed by circumstances, when we choose to praise the Almighty God who can never be separated from us, our focus changes (Romans 8:38-39). Just as it did for David, we move from despair to hope. Believe it! Praise is the ultimate weapon that even the weakest and most timid can use to ignite the faith they have been given.

[Taken from the section on “Praise” in Strike the Match, Light the Fire, a book describing the Chain Reaction that begins with praise > faith > prayer > overcome evil > reign and rule.]