I recently bought myself a Jewish prayer book.

I’m not Jewish, but I’ve recently been intrigued with what we can learn from Jewish prayers. First of all, many of them are prayers Jesus would have prayed (or similar). And in addition, I’ve found their prayers to be more God-centered than many of mine tend to be, and it helps to re-center my thoughts. It also provides a great attitude check.

Most intriguing to me is their habit of praying blessings back to God for every gift they receive. To bless God is to honor His name, praise Him, and by implication to submit to his reign. It is a fulfillment of Nehemiah 9:5: “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.”

For Jews, there is a blessing for everything! But note how all of the blessing is directed toward God:

When you first open your eyes in the morning:

Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who gives sight to the blind.

When putting your shoes on:

Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who provides for all my needs.

When you eat a meal with bread:

Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.

When it rains:

Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who is good and gives good things!

When something terrible happens:

Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who is the true judge.

I dare you to try to go a day blessing God for everything that happens and everything you see—good and bad. See what it can teach you about the nature of God, and how often it adjusts your attitude to one of thanks and trust. Take a walk through your neighborhood and thank God for being the creator of trees, birds, and children; for making each unique season; for being a God who listens and sees. I think you will soon discover how much there is to bless God for!

You can also bless God using Scripture. Blessed is the Lord our God, King of the universe, who daily bears our burdens. Who gives all men life and breath and everything else. Whose mercies are new every morning.

Too often we are content to check prayer off our list for the day if we had a quiet time in the morning (or we feel guilty if we don’t) rather than making our entire day one of silent, meaningful conversation with God. These prayers of blessing take only a second and can be done in the midst of whatever else our schedule holds. But we are blessed for letting them fill our thoughts.

How much difference would it make in your life if every few minutes, and in gratitude for every blessing you receive, you breathed a prayer of blessing back to its Giver? I challenge you to give it a try!

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small prayers that make a big difference