Creative Prayer: Reflections of God in a Gallery a Praise

Focus: Praise for God’s creation

Before You Begin:

Clear a shelf or other prominent area in your home that you can use to create a “gallery” for display.

The Prayer Time!

Gather your family and say: “The Apostle Paul declared in Romans 1:20, ‘For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature —have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.'”

Tell children that every created thing reflects God’s glory and power and ask, “Why not use God’s creation to inspire our family’s praise of God?”

Set up an area in your home (such as a bookshelf or the fireplace mantel) to place things that somehow reflect God’s glory to you and your family. Then encourage family members to fill this area with things they find that inspire them to praise God.

For example, your family might fill your chosen spot with things like:

dried flower petals,
pictures of your family,
a bird’s nest,
a puppy’s collar,
a card with a favorite Scripture verse written on it,
a small musical instrument,
a postcard from the Grand Canyon,
a valentine,
a child’s drawing,
a pine cone, or
a letter from a friend.

Work together as a family to arrange the chosen items into a miniature “art gallery of God’s praise,” creating small “exhibits” for each one.

When your gallery of praise is ready, gather around and look through it while you pray together. Include in your prayers moments when family members tell God, “Lord, I see your glory in the things you’ve created. In this (name something from your gallery), I see your (name a character quality of God, such as love, patience, grace, beauty, and so on).”

You may also want to ask God to help your family members be good stewards of the gifts God’s given us in creation. We can express our thanks to God for what he’s made by our actions of caring for the world around us.

Feel free to add to and remove items from your family’s gallery as time goes on. This will help everyone find fresh new reasons for praising God in their prayers.