Our family has an orange tabby that we inherited from our daughter when she went out of state for job training. He was just a kitten then.
Hobbes-the-Warrior-Cat is fifteen years old now. He is a scrappy little guy, but so sweet. He has also been prayed over more than any cat on the planet, as far as I can tell. Hobbes has been prayed for at breakfast, lunch, and dinner for nearly a decade and a half by the sweetest little voices. He’s also been prayed over, frantically, on the way to the vet after every scrappy encounter. At this point, he may live forever. Okay, I am joking… but he has had a good, healthy life.
Our kids pray about the things that matter to them–like their beloved pets. Have we taught them to praise God when they experience joy, provision, or God’s presence in their daily lives?
You can help your family praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord as a Family
In just two months, you can start a new habit of biblical prayer that will change your relationship with God… and your family dynamics! After all, God should be present in the daily lives of our families. When we focus on him, everything changes.
You can start your new habit of prayer with praise to the Lord. Take a look at what Psalm 150:1-6, ESV, tells us:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
It seems significant to me that the very last psalm in a book full of praise songs is a joyous and definitive call to praise.
When we praise, we give thanks, commend, and sing honor to our amazing Creator God.
Psalm 150 tells us to praise God for his mighty deeds and his excellent greatness. We praise him with all of the musical instruments, and with our very breath. Praise God!
How to Praise the Lord in Prayer as a Family
When my kids were growing up, we would pray each morning before school. We always started with a verse, or three, from the psalms. It was a wonderful way for us to pray praise to God, using his own words straight from Scripture!
We also had a lunchtime habit of turning on praise music and holding a dance party in the kitchen once lunch was on the plates. We would dance and sing our hearts out before eating.
On field trips, in the backyard, and at night before bed, we would talk about what we could praise God for:
- That giant waterfall up the path? It is so majestic! The God who made it is much more majestic. Praise God for his majesty!
- The stars are so bright tonight. Praise God who calls each star by name (Psalm 147:4)!
- Today was a wonderful day. We were all healthy and happy. Praise God for the food he gave us and for a day with no colds!
I noticed that once I started praising God, it flowed easily. Kids love enthusiasm and joy, so teaching them to praise God is a lot of fun.
Prayer is something that is important to me. I’m sure it’s important to you, too! After all, we talk to the God of the Universe through prayer… and his door is always open to us. Author & Pastor of Immanuel Fellowship Church, William Boekestein, used the devotional on prayer I wrote for you, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, during family worship time with his family. Take a look at what he had to say about learning more about biblical prayer alongside his wife and children:
Have you noticed that your prayers tend to follow the same familiar paths? You feel sure that talking with God can be more personal and vibrant, but you are not sure how to get there. Danika Cooley’s 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, follows the time-tested method of using Bible prayers as patterns, according to which we can make other prayers that correspond to our own circumstances. 60 Scriptures will help you understand a rich variety of biblical prayers through which your believing ancestors invite you to “Pray then like this” (Matt. 6:9). This book strengthened the prayerfulness of myself and my family. If you want to advance in this essential spiritual discipline, ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1), and use this book to gain insights into his answer.
Prayers of Praise to the Lord in Scripture
You can become a family that praises the Lord as you learn about prayers of praise in the Bible that were prayed by people in Scripture.
The devotional I wrote for you, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray (Whitaker House, 2026), has eight types of prayer you will learn about. Here are the devotions you’ll study covering biblical prayers of praise!
- To the Lord I Will Sing | Judges 5:1-9, 31
- My Heart Rejoices in the Lord | 1 Samuel 2:1-10
- The Lord is My Savior | 2 Samuel 22:1-7
- Yours is the Kingdom, O Lord | 1 Chronicles 29:10-19
- How Majestic is Your Name | Psalm 8
- Jesus Never Changes | Hebrews 1:1-12
- Worthy Is the Lamb | Revelation 5:6-14
- You Alone Are Holy | Revelation 15:2-4
This year, learn more about prayer–and become a family that praises the Lord!
Bible Resources for Your Kids
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60 Scriptures You Can Pray
The Bible is full of prayer that you can pray too!
How do you pray when you don’t know what to say? The Bible holds the answer.
God doesn’t expect us to pray without guidance. In fact, Scripture is full of examples of ordinary people approaching our extraordinary God in prayer.
Award-winning author Danika Cooley believes that praying God’s Word teaches us how to best communicate with our Lord:
“There are so many lessons we can learn from Scripture about how to approach God and what to expect when we do.”
Danika’s devotional 60 Scriptures You Can Pray covers eight types of prayer from the Bible, the expectations we should have when we pray, and the right heart attitude for prayer.
- Praise | We adore God for who he is.
- Thanksgiving | We thank God for all he has done.
- Confession | We admit our sin to the God who saves us.
- Supplication | We humbly ask God to provide for our needs.
- Intercession | We ask God to meet the needs of others.
- Deliverance | We cry out to God for help in times of trouble.
- Lament | We bring our sorrow to God, our comforter.
- Guidance | We ask for God’s help in determining his will for our lives.
When you read 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, you will:
- Develop a habit of praying daily over a two-month period
- Learn more about prayer in Scripture
- Understand eight different types of prayer
- Expand your understanding of how to pray biblically
- Become better acquainted with God, His Word, and why we pray
Packed with thoughtful explanations of biblical prayer and practical application in each devotion, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray is the tool you need to learn more about prayer–straight from God’s Word.
Want to equip the women in your church to pray biblically?
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