I’m becoming convinced of the power that comes with lifting up praise prayers to our Heavenly Father. When a praise prayer is offered, you will notice a change in the environment. The majesty of God’s might, holiness, and immensity of His strength replaces our meekness and sinfulness, problems, and worries.
Our prayers gain power and praise flows from our hearts and lips when He is cherished and appreciated. When we come before God in humility, wonder, and reverence, everything changes. Let’s take a look at the power that comes with praising God through our prayers!
Prayers of Praise
Praise prayers are the first step in realizing to whom our petitions are directed. Only the one real God, King of kings and Lord of lords, deserves our adoration. There is no one in authority greater than the Lord Almighty, and He alone is worthy of our respect and praise.
When we bow before God’s throne, we acknowledge that He is the Creator and Sustainer of life. We’re nearing the King of Glory, all-powerful ruler. “Who is he, this King of glory?” declares Psalm 24. He is the King of Glory, the Lord Almighty.”
In the light of God, this King of Glory whom we humbly serve, we behold prayer and bring our praise!
What is a prayer of praise?
Glory, honor, and praise are given to THE King of Glory in a prayer of praise! Some have defined praise prayer as acknowledging God for who He is and praising His fundamental nature.
We are aware of several of God’s characteristics: He is all-knowing, all-present, trustworthy, grace-filled, just, and immensely good. It’s a sacred place when we worship God via prayer, whether we’ve just encountered Him firsthand, or we’re celebrating Him for answered prayers, or we’ve entered His presence and can only praise His name.
What is an example of a prayer of praise?
My son and I were reading Daniel together when we came across a praise prayer in Danel 2:20-23. To summarize the events leading up to this prayer, King Nebuchadnezzar (King of Babylon) had a dream and desired someone to tell him what it meant. As everyone thought it was impossible, King Nebuchadnezzar declared that if no one could achieve what he asked, all the wise men would be murdered.
Daniel pleaded to God, pleading with Him to reveal the dream and its meaning to him so that the wise men could be spared by God’s grace. “That night, the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision,” says verse 19.
Daniel’s prayer of praise to God:
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”
Before Daniel did anything else, he paused and prayed a prayer of praise to God. He recognized who God is and what He had done.
This is such an excellent and beautiful example of a prayer of praise and one we can learn from.
Prayer of praise in the bible
The bible is filled with powerful and beautiful prayers of praise. This is just a small example of praise in the bible and doesn’t even touch any Psalms. Use these short prayers of praise as an example of prayers lifted to God Almighty.
I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:3-4
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—. . . .” 2 Samuel 22:2-3
“Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:5-6
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Luke 1:46-55
What do you say when praising God?
So what do you say when you pray your own prayer of praise? What does praising God look like? Are there certain words to be said?
I’d like to offer a few observations from the previous examples above.
- Proclaim praise to God.
- Earnestly approach Him.
- Declare specifically who He is and what He has done.
- Thank Him with gratitude and thankfulness.
Simply come before God in humility and aim to make everything about Him alone. In doing so, you will place God in His proper position in your life. Praise brings the mountain you were previously facing into the palms of the God who created the heavens and the earth.
Remember, nothing compares to the King of glory!
Worship words to describe God
Maybe you want to praise God through prayer and just aren’t sure what to say. Don’t worry! The more you grow in relationship to God, words of praise and worship will come more naturally. Put into daily practice praising God.
Worship words to describe God through name and attribute could include:
- God Almighty, Lord of lords, King of kings, The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, Defender
- Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, Generous Giver, Creator, Heavenly Father, Keeper
- Master, Savior, Loving, Righteous, Trustworthy, Gracious, Just
- All-knowing, All-present, All-powerful, Almighty
Use the prayers above or go through Psalms and find a prayer of praise to pray as your prayer. This is a creative example of worship words to describe God through letters of the alphabet.
Praising God prayer points
Below are 10 prayer points for praising God. You can use these to help prompt your prayers as you praise God for who He is.
Father, I praise you for:
- Being God Almighty and sovereign over all things.
- Protecting and defending me each daily.
- Creating and sustaining life by your breath.
- Your Son, Jesus Christ, and his work on the cross.
- Your unending love and mercy that you pour upon me each day.
- Going before me and keeping me safe and secure in your protection.
- Hearing my prayers and caring to be in relationship with me.
- Being my refuge, strength, and fortress in this ever-changing world.
- Offering yourself to me and your willingness to rescue you.
- Supplying all my needs and trusting that you care more for me than I can fathom.
If you’re in a spiritual battle, take a break in your day to list as many points of praise as you can think of. It is true, walls come crashing down when we bring praise to God through prayer.
Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving
Here are some examples of prayers of praise and thanksgiving from Psalms. Often times you can read through Psalms and find a prayer that is perfectly fitting for your heart and can declare the words exactly as they are.
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth!
Worship the Lord with gladness,
Come before Him, singing with joy.
Acknowledge that the Lord is God!
He made us, and we are His.
We are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving;
go into His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him and praise His name.
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever,
and His faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears. Psalm 34:1-4
Praise the Lord!
I will thank the Lord with all my heart
as I meet with His godly people.
How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!
All who delight in Him should ponder them.
Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty.
His righteousness never fails.
He causes us to remember His wonderful works.
How gracious and merciful is our Lord! Psalm 111:1-4
Short Prayer of Praise
A prayer of praise can come using any of these or the many other examples in the bible, or we can pray even a short prayer of praise. Though a prayer of praise my be short, it doesn’t take away from its impact!
Remember, we’re taking the time to recognize God. Praise God! Is one way to pray a short prayer of praise. Other short prayers of praise and gratitude include:
- Lord, I adore you.
- Father, I praise your name above all names!
- God, I thank you for the work and power you do in my life.
- Lord, you alone are God and I worship you in this moment.
Prayer of Praise and Adoration
Most of us think of Psalms when we consider prayers of praise and adoration. It is full of declarations and powerful prayers of praise to God Almighty. If you’re looking to use the bible as a prayer book, the following Psalms are great starting places for praying your own prayers of praise and adoration to God.
Psalm 145 – “My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name forever and ever.” vs.19
Psalm 8 – “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” vs 9
Psalm 65 – “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.” vs. 8
Psalm 150 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” vs. 6
Praying the Psalms can be such a powerful way to pray using scripture.
Praising God in Prayer
To echo Daniel’s prayer of praise “Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his.” Power comes through praising God. As you bow before God in worship and adoration, be overwhelmed by the one and only true King of Glory! This is who we worship!
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