Grace in the Middle: Praising God in the Storm
Hello Friends, and welcome back to Grace in the Middle.
It’s been a few weeks since my last post—life threw us a handful of family health challenges one after another, and I had to step away for a bit. Thankfully, everyone is doing better now, and I’m grateful for your grace and patience during the pause. I’m glad to be back with you today.
With health issues—or really any challenge life throws our way—we’re given opportunities to grow in our spiritual walk. Over the past few years, one lesson I’ve been leaning into is this: praising God through the storm.
Now, let me be clear—it’s not easy. And it doesn’t mean your feelings don’t matter. Our fears, frustrations, and hurts are real and valid. But choosing to praise God in the middle of a storm is about loosening our grip and letting Him take control.
Scripture reminds us of this over and over:
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV)
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” — Colossians 3:17 (NLT)
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT)
For me, it was 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 that first shifted my thinking—specifically the phrase, “in all circumstances.” That means no matter what’s happening, I can choose to give Him praise.
So what does that actually look like? It starts by taking your situation to God in prayer. Tell Him everything—how you feel, what you’re afraid of, what you need. Be raw and vulnerable. And then turn that same prayer into praise:
Thank Him for being in control.
Thank Him for walking with you step by step.
Thank Him that His timing is perfect.
Thank Him that nothing surprises Him, and He already knows what you need before you do.
Praising God in the middle of the storm doesn’t mean everything magically gets fixed. It’s a choice in your heart, soul, and mind to trust Him. And the gift we receive in return is peace.
One small example for me was with car troubles. I didn’t know how we were going to pay for the repair. I was frustrated, scared, and worried—it felt like just another problem stacked on top of others. In that moment, I stopped what I was doing and prayed. I poured out all my feelings, then I thanked Him: for keeping me safe when the issue came up, for already knowing the solution, for being in control. And you know what? I was able to take some deep breaths, calm my thoughts, and begin making a plan. In the end, the repair wasn’t nearly as bad as I had feared, and we had the funds to cover it.
That’s just one story, but I could share so many moments where God has shown up and provided in ways I never saw coming.
A song I can relate to with this practice is “Eye of the Storm” by Ryan Stevenson. The chorus says:
"In the eye of the storm, You remain in control
In the middle of the war, You guard my soul
You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn
Your love surrounds me, in the eye of the storm"
If you’ve never heard it, I recommend giving it a listen. And if you know it already, I hope it resonates with you in a new way this week.
When life feels heavy and the storms keep rolling in, we have a choice: to sit in fear and frustration or to lift our hearts in praise. Praising God doesn’t erase the hard things, but it reminds us that He is bigger than our circumstances and that His peace is available right in the middle of them.
Scripture for the Week
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NIV)
Takeaway: The next time you face a storm—big or small—pause, pray honestly, and then choose to praise. In that space, you’ll find His peace carrying you through.
Keep walking in His peace,
Joanna
