The words we say carry such weight into the ‘atmosphere’ and have the potential to come back and affect us again. Just recently, I have been challenged with the power in blessing. Blessing my children, blessing our health, blessing our finances. This last year, instead of praying like a persistent widow always asking, I have been on a journey of decreeing and declaring that which I believe. I have now also begun to bless people and things like health and finances. I am seeing not only a change in my attitude, but amazing results.
The Aaronic Blessing in the Bible from Numbers 6:22-26 has always struck me as quite unusual until recently when I examined it more carefully. It tends to be a blessing said at weddings. It is now being said in the Berry household on a daily basis.
God spoke to Moses. “Tell Aaron and his sons, this is how you are to bless the people of Israel. Say to them, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.”
I don’t believe God would ask Moses to tell Aaron and his sons to say this over the Israelites if there was no power in it. This blessing covers a multitude of areas. When we ask the Lord to bless us, we are asking Him to come and kneel before us and present us with gifts. If someone is ‘keeping’ you, they are providing for your every need. They are also guarding you with a hedge of protection. We are asking the Lord to turn and look at us, shifting His whole being towards us to bring order and beautify us. The Lord will set in place all we need to be whole and complete. To be gracious to us and extend mercy to us is an amazing attribute. To shine His face upon us means that the opposite (the devil) can’t have an affect upon us at that time. Peace is not just the absence of war. It is a state of being emotionally secure, of not wanting, forgiven, secure in all ways.
This blessing in itself carries a huge amount you could pray for yourself and your children. I encourage you to try blessing your children with this blessing every night for the next week/month. Ask them how they feel when you bless them.
This is not the only prayer you can bless your children with. Feel free to experiment, dream, make up your own specific to your children’s individual needs. Another great blessing is written below and you may also like to give that a try and see the effects for yourself.
We received this blessing over two years ago, in an email to all parents from our Children’s Ministry at our church, Stairway. It struck me as great at the time and I did pray it over my children once, but to be honest, I didn’t implement it on an ongoing basis. That is, until now. Recently I unearthed it among a whole lot of papers and realised the tremendous value in praying it over my children.
(Your child’s name). I call your spirit to bear witness and agree with the words in 1 John 4:19 “We love because He first loved us”. (Your child’s name). I bless you to be able to respond and receive the height, depth and width of the Father’s great love for you. I bless your ability to grow in affection, desire, hunger and passion for more of God. I pray that you will continually walk in the revelation as a child who was loved before the beginning of time. I bless you in the fullness and richness of Jesus Christ.
May you find great joy and richness in blessing your children, aspects of your life, and those around you. I would love to hear your journey and the difference blessing makes in your family’s life.
Hi Jane! It’s grace again.
Totally with you on blessing our children:)
We did a short course called “ancient paths” by Family Foundations which covered this as well as other eye opening topics for me – eg. Key times if blessing for children /adults and how it can impact if a child doesn’t receive it. I also learnt to bless my parents which was really special for them.
Highly recommend to take a look at it if you haven’t already looked at it! It has given me while new framework and confirmed certain convictions I have had too in how to bring up my kids.
Love grace
Thanks Grace. I will certainly look at it.