Do animals praise God?
Why I believe that they do!
Weird question, but think about it. The Bible states, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord1.” Today, I will take a deep dive into this verse. What is everything? What is breath? And what does it mean to “praise the Lord”?
What is meant by “everything”?
The word “Everything” literally refers to every single tiny thing that God created! That includes angels, humans, animals, birds, sea creatures, the moon, the stars, trees, grass, flowers, and even stones! When the Pharisees heard a crowd of people praising Jesus, they said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” The Pharisees were unable to stop the joy of the people, so they asked Jesus to silence them. But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if they (the crowd) stay quiet, even the stones will cry out2.”
Of course, stones can’t literally “cry out” here on earth, but it’s entirely possible they can sing out in praise in Heaven. Just wait until you read about the flowers that sing there!
What is meant by “has breath”?
This refers to anything and everything that requires oxygen to survive, people, animals, birds, aquatic life, and plants (grass, flowers, shrubs, trees, etc.). We are told that animals, birds, and plant life—all beings that breathe—praise God in their own unique way.
Check out this clip about NDE (near-death experience) survivors who briefly died, went to Heaven, and were resuscitated, returning to their bodies with incredible experiences to share. Listen to what they say about the beautiful flowers that sang in Heaven!
What is meant by “praise the Lord”?
I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before. And if you were like me 20 years ago, whenever someone said, “Praise the Lord!” you might have felt offended, irritated, annoyed, or even turned off! That reaction is natural—thinking what the Bible says (or what Christians believe) is foolish, but those thoughts typically happen when you are not walking in fellowship with Jesus. As the Bible says:
“The person without the Holy Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.3”
So don’t feel bad if you think I’m a fool for what I say about the Bible. I don’t mind, because I was once there too. Until the day I heard an audible voice from God and was ushered into a supernatural life with God! (BTW, I was a police officer at the time I heard that voice. I was mandated to take people into protective custody if they claimed they heard voices in their head! What an amazing sense of humor God has!)
According to BibleHub.com, to praise God means:
“an intentional declaration or expression of honor, admiration, and gratitude directed toward God. It acknowledges His supreme worth, character, and deeds. From a biblical standpoint, praise is both verbal and active, shining a spotlight on God’s holiness, power, and love. Biblically, praise goes beyond mere words. It envelops every dimension of a person-mind, will, body, and spirit. Emotions, intellect, and outward actions (singing, praying, generous deeds) all converge to form the tapestry of praise to the Creator.”
So, can this definition apply to animals? Why not? They have breath, and as part of “everything,” they are called to praise God.
Do birds, aquatic life, and animals communicate with back and forth with God?
Let’s take a look.
We know that God deeply loves all animals. When He created them, He declared them “good4.” The Bible also tells us that Father God is with every single sparrow that dies and falls to the ground5. This truth, by the way, can bring comfort to those of us who have experienced a companion animal going missing or passing away alone. It certainly brought me comfort when, on a hot summer day in 2013, I came home to find that my beloved cat Cheeto had died alone in my house. Simply knowing that God was there with my cat eased my grief.
The Bible also tells us that God “whistles for the flies and the bees6” to guide them where to go. While the Bible doesn’t state this directly, God must have spoken to the donkey that He directed to speak to the prophet Balaam, who was ignorantly beating it. God also directed the swarms of frogs and insects to invade Pharaoh’s temple, instructed the giant fish (perhaps a whale) to swallow and later release the prophet Jonah, and told a massive school of fish to avoid and then swim into the nets of the future disciples Peter, Andrew, John, and James.
God’s love for animals is so obvious! The Bible tells us that God feeds all creatures at their appointed times7, and He declares the entire animal kingdom as His own8. Loving His creation is part of God’s very nature, and both humans and animals belong to it. There may be no “Mother Nature,” but there is certainly a “Father God” who created all of nature. He calls us to be stewards and caretakers—of both the earth and its animals. Truly, God is the ultimate animal lover, and we owe Him praise for all that He has made.
Praise is not limited to words. Since praise includes “an expression of gratitude,” is it possible that when a nightingale sings a beautiful song, a dog rapidly wags his tail, a cat purrs when in his guardian’s lap, or a springbok that springs up into the air (this behavior is called “pronking”) are all expressing their gratitude towards God?
Watch this video of a couple of springboks pronking, and tell me in the comments below (if you’re using the Substack App) or by replying to this email if you think animals “praise the Lord!”
Psalm 150:6
Luke 19:40
1 Corinthians 2:14
Genesis 1:25
Matthew 10:29
Isaiah 7:18
Psalm 104:27
Psalm 50:10-11
❤️🙏Amen 🙏❤️
🙌🙏❤️
I definitely believe that animals praise the Lord. Praising the Lord makes you happy! And these springboks remind me of our trip to South Africa so very long ago! Praise the Lord!