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Throughout Scripture, we hear God’s command to continually sing praise to Him. See Psalm 34:1 and 100:2:
- Psalm 34:1: “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
- Psalm 100:2: “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
Singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is His grace-filled gift. See Ephesians 5:19: “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” Through song, “the word of Christ” dwells in us richly; we teach and admonish one another, and gratitude fills our hearts.
See now Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
We marvel that Jesus and His disciples sang hallel Psalms together on the eve of His Crucifixion, a night of fear, grief, and confusion. See Psalms 113-118 and Matthew 26:30: “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
How can we sing as they did? When life feels unbearably difficult? Perhaps the answer begins with remembering God’s love story, starting with creation.
Created to Sing Praise to God
Our voices were created for praise. See Psalm 8:2, 100:1, and Matthew 21:16:
- Psalm 8:2: “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”
- Psalm 100:1: “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.”
- Matthew 21:16: “And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
As children of a singing God, He made us to use our voices to delight in our Creator. See Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 71:8, 150:6:
- Zephaniah 3:17: “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
- Psalm 71:8: “Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.”
- Psalm 150:6: “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.”
God created us as interconnected beings—body, mind, emotion, and spirit. Wondrously, singing uniquely engages our holistic self. We sing truth about God, our minds hear that truth, our affections are stirred, and our wills are redirected toward Him.
Often, singing praise wells up joy within us! Singing to Him can then help us to “count it all joy” when enduring trials. See now James 1:2: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”
Praise Interruptions in the Bible
Singing of God’s Character: The “Who” of “Praise Interruptions”
Our songs are directed toward the triune God, as He reveals Himself in Scripture. We bless His immutable character, essence, or “name.”10
We might extol His goodness, glory, holiness, omnipresence, wisdom, kindness, patience, righteousness, power, grace, mercy, faithfulness, justice, kingship, omniscience, sovereignty, or worthiness. We sing because He is eternally existent, unchanging, and utterly trustworthy.11
But when we suffer, there is perhaps one attribute of God our hearts must sing:
His love.
Scripture repeatedly interrupts its descriptions of suffering with declarations of God’s steadfast and perfect love.12 Hesed encompasses His steadfast, covenantal, loyal, unfailing, merciful, compassionate, just, righteous, kind, faithful, enduring, loving devotion.13
Because God’s character is immutable, His love does not disappear when our circumstances feel unbearable.
Therefore, singing truths14 about God fosters our trust in and love for Him.15 Praise does not deny suffering but sings facts about God amid suffering.
The Fall: When Suffering Silences Our Song, We Can Lament With “Praise Interruptions”
Genesis 3 changed everything. We now live in a sin-permeated, groaning world;16 we feel its effects in our bodies, minds, emotions, relationships…and worship.
Suffering can easily draw the blinds over our praise. We might believe that we can praise God only when He answers “yes” to our prayers. Or we fear our suffering means a tyrant God is punishing us.
But our loving Father has given us suffering songs of lament for precisely these moments.17
Biblical suffering songs are raw, upset, honest. They help us pray-sing our fear, grief, anger, confusion, loneliness, and anguish directly to God who laments with us.18
Yet, all but one of the lament Psalms19 eventually turn toward praise. The Psalmists repeatedly turn from “this is happening” to “but God.”
Our suffering songs turn to the love of God shown to us in Christ Jesus, the greatest “but God” turnaround of all sin and its resulting tribulations in our fallen world.
Singing Scripture’s Love Story of Redemption: The “What” of “Praise Interruptions”
We sing-pray to and about Jesus, who reveals God’s character to us.20 We cherish singing the gospel as we suffer, the good news of our salvation in Christ.21
But perhaps by singing specifically of the cross of Jesus, we might find our greatest praise interruption: love and adoration expressed to our Suffering Servant, for it is there that our suffering hearts meet His suffering heart…for us.
Proof of our Father’s love toward us is not the ease of our lives. The evidence of His hesed love is Christ Himself—mistreated, misunderstood, betrayed, abandoned, and crucified as He bore the full penalty and propitiated the wrath we deserve for sin.22
This is why singing about the cross becomes a critical praise interruption. It humbly turns our attention from our suffering to what Christ suffered and accomplished in our place. Gratitude and praise to Him result.
“Jesus paid it all; All to Him I owe.”23
“Praise Interruptions” sing the Gospel to Our Redeemed Souls
As we suffer losses, the enemy can attack our thoughts with terrifying accusations and lies: God is angry with you. You’re being punished. You’re abandoned. You aren’t really His.24
At such moments, our praise interruptions must sing gospel truths to our frightened souls. When others proudly judge us as sufferers, we sing truths of our Redeemer to our redeemed souls.25
Christ has paid our sin’s penalty,26 will never abandon us,27 and intercedes for us.28 Our circumstances or works don’t change our standing before God.29 We are now united with Christ,30 robed in His sinless righteousness.31
Therefore:
“Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee.”32
Our redeemed souls can sing praise to Him through tears, bringing courage to endure suffering. How? By looking to the cross of Jesus and singing His words to us, “I am thy salvation.”33
Sing God’s Word When You Cannot Read It
Sometimes suffering makes reading Scripture difficult. Pain, exhaustion, grief, or illness can make it difficult to process words.
We can sing God’s Word in these times. Simple melodies and repeated Scriptural lyrics become most accessible.
Researchers have found that lyrics uniquely lodge within us. The Holy Spirit often brings them back to mind as we suffer, His comforting and sufficient grace.34
When Suffering Feels Like Our Only Song
Sometimes suffering overwhelms everything. We can barely pray, “Help me.”
This is where praise interruptions become important. We can ask God to give us a song, for He is the source of His praise song.35 It is not our mustering up, but abiding and resting in His love as our source of living water.36
Restoration: Praising God for the End of His Love Story
Our suffering songs bring hope in the day when we will see unseen, eternal things.37 As we sing the gospel, we lift our eyes from earthly suffering toward the future Christ has promised His own.
Singing of our future resurrection,38 our hearts begin to look forward to the sure end of suffering, extolling our King Jesus, who will return to judge evil and sin, restore creation, and consummate his kingdom.39 Our suffering songs become mingled songs of praise and hope!40
We are not singing alone. Even now, our songs join the worship at His throne.41 When we sing praise to our Lord today, we’re rehearsing…for eternity.
So sing, Christian! When suffering seems to be your only song, ask God for a praise interruption.
Because our suffering songs are songs of intimate lament, trust, and hope. They are “cruciformed” songs of cross, resurrection, and restoration. Love songs.
When we sing Scripture’s glorious story, we rest, quieted by His love.42 Our suffering is not the whole story.
God’s love is.
- Praise Interruptions in the Bible: As We Sing Scripture’s Love Story - October 13, 2026
