I love this quote from St. Athanasius:
There is something about winning a victory that elicits a powerful response, but have you experienced the power that comes from this response
before a victory?
- King Jehoshaphat’s singers praised the Lord on the frontlines of battle before their enemies were defeated.
- Joshua and the Israelites shouted before the walls of Jericho collapsed.
- Paul and Silas’s hymns were sung in the dungeon before the earthquake broke their shackles and opened the doors.
As Catholics, we often hear the exhortation to “offer up” our tough circumstances or sufferings. What better way than to praise God
before we see an answer to prayer? Years ago, I found this secret when I suffered a great loss and chose to praise God in the middle of my pain. Looking back, that song of “victory before a victory” became my personal war cry. I learned that I praise harder during tough times.
There’s a desperation that drives me to magnify my Hero instead of my hardship. My circumstances may not change overnight, but I can testify along with the Psalmist: