A prayer of thanksgiving focuses on God for what He has done, but the next type is known as a prayer of praise or worship and honors God for simply who He is. This type of prayer helps us to keep our focus on God.
When we’re reminded of how big our God is with prayers of praise, our challenges and shortcomings become less intimidating, and our faith and trust in God begin to grow. How do we pray a prayer of praise? Well, here’s the thing to keep in mind: You can’t praise who you don’t know. Developing a relationship with God and growing in the knowledge of who He is gives us the truth we need to prayerfully praise Him.
We can see an example of a prayer of praise in Micah 7:18: “Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.” (Micah 7:18 ESV)
As you can see in this prayer, it’s a reminder of who God is and His character. He doesn’t stay angry. He has compassion; He is forgiving. These are just a few things we can praise and worship God for, but His word is a great place to start to understand His character so that you too can practice the prayer of praise.
Pray: Heavenly Father, we praise You for who You are. Thank You for Your steadfast love, compassion, and forgiveness. Help us to continually focus on Your greatness and character, allowing our faith and trust in You to grow. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Reflect: What aspects of God’s character inspire you to praise Him the most?