The Power of Praise: Cultivating a Daily Practice Instead of Striving for Perfection

Fred Rogers

While the name Mr. Rogers is synonymous with the beloved North American children’s show Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, I’ll be honest, growing up in

Australia, he wasn’t even on my radar. It wasn’t until years later, through conversations with my Canadian wife, that I began to appreciate the significant impact Fred Rogers had on generations of children and families. To so many, he was more than just a TV host; he was a gentle guide, a voice of calm, and a living example of kindness and compassion.

My own vicarious encounter with Mr. Rogers came through the 2019 biographical drama film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. The movie, based on the true story, follows journalist Lloyd Vogel, a hardened and cynical writer for Esquire magazine, who is assigned to profile Rogers. Lloyd sets out expecting to uncover some kind of spiritual façade. Instead, he finds himself deeply moved by Fred’s unwavering sincerity, empathy, and humility which emulated the Savior.

One scene in particular stopped me in my tracks. Lloyd, still trying to understand what made Fred tick, has a conversation with his wife Joanne. Here's the exchange:

Lloyd: So how does it feel to be married to a living saint?

Joanne: You know, I’m not fond of that term. If you think of him as a saint, then his way of being is unattainable. You know, he works at it all the time. It’s a practice. He’s not a perfect person. He has a temper. He chooses how he responds to that anger.

Lloyd: That must take a lot of effort.

Joanne: Well, yeah, he does things every day that help ground him. Reads Scripture. Swims laps. Prays for people by name. Writes letters, hundreds of them. He’s been doing that since I met him.

This honest conversation perfectly dismantles the myth that only "special people" can live lives that reflect Jesus. Fred Rogers didn’t live with tangible godly example by accident. He made daily intentional choices to practice kindness, prayer, discipline, and praise. While he didn’t master them; he committed to them.

It reminded me of a vulnerable and authentic statement written by prolific Christian songwriter and author Laura Story in her book When God Doesn’t Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can’t Live Without. She says, “Christian songwriters don’t write songs about the truths we’ve mastered. We write them about the realities we’re grappling with.”

That hits home right? We’re not experts on holiness. We are learners on a journey daily seeking to become more like Jesus; it’s not a destination we’ve already reached. This is so reminiscent of my journey in writing this book as the same principle applies to praise.

Praise is not the polished product of perfect people. It’s a continual practice. A daily, sometimes glorious, sometimes messy, sometimes weary choice to lift our eyes to heaven and say, “God, You are still good and You are forever worthy of my praise.” This is exactly what Leah models in Genesis 29:35. After years of longing and disappointment, she pauses to say, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Following this declaration, her life didn’t instantly become easy. Her heart still wrestled. But something had shifted — her choice of focus, posture, and perspective. She looked beyond her circumstance and declared God’s worthiness.

We’re invited to do the same.

Praising God in every season is one of the most countercultural and powerful things we will do. It doesn't come naturally. It will often be contested by doubt, disrupted by pain, and challenged by cultural noise. But praise isn’t about our perfection. It’s about choosing, again and again, to exalt the perfection of God above all.

So wherever you are in your journey - struggling, thriving, doubting, or healing - know that praise is our posture to adopt. It’s a sacrifice. It’s a declaration. And it’s a practice that purchased our eternal freedom from sin and death.

Let’s walk this path together, not as saints, but as people in process. Choosing, one day at a time, to say: This time I will praise the Lord.