The words we speak over our kids and grands can be blessings or curses. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Our words have a lot of power, life or death. When we give a blessing, we are speaking life. You may wonder, What is a blessing? How do I give a blessing?
What is a blessing? How do I give a blessing?
A blessing is a statement of good will and happiness for the present and the future. What a gift to bestow a blessing of good will and happiness on another. One of the blessings provided in scripture is the Aaronic blessing. You can find it in Numbers 6:22-26.
Aaronic Blessing
“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you
are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
‘The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.'”
Daily Practice
Each morning, well most mornings, when my four kids were in elementary and middle school, I spoke the Aaronic Blessing over them. I would put my right had on their foreheads and then finish by drawing a cross on their forehead with my index finger.
I would love to do this every morning for my grands but we don’t live in the same house and 2 of the 4 are not even in the same state. So, I can always pray these powerful words for them and come to think of it, I can pray these words for Tom (my husband), my adult children, and my in-loves (in-laws):
Lord, bless and keep ( name).
Make your face shine on (name) and be gracious to (him or her).
Turn your face toward (name)
and give (him or her) peace.
Amen
Speak Life
Each line of the blessing is filled with words of life. To bless and keep refers to God’s favor and His protection. The second line, “make your face shine upon him and be gracious “ is broken into two segments. The first part of verse 25 is about the Lord being pleased with the individual and the second part proclaims God’s compassion and mercy over that person. Verse 26 speaks of God’s attention on that person and granting His peace.
These are things most of us desire. We want God’s favor, protection, approval, compassion, mercy, attention, and peace. A blessing is a gift we can give our loved ones, whether they are near or far, whether or not they are believers. Even if they are living at a distance or are distant from God this blessing can be prayed for them.
An Additional Blessing Resource
If you would like to learn more about blessings. You can receive 21 Spiritual blessings when you subscribe to my quarterly newsletter and monthly blog.
Photo by Gary Bendig on Unsplash
© LoriWildenberg. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Lori Wildenberg is a licensed parent and family educator, parent coach, and co-founder of 1Corinthians13 Parenting.com. She has written 6 books including Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home; The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections; and her most recent book, Messy Hope: Help Your Child Overcome Anxiety, Depression, or Suicidal Ideation. Contact Lori for your next event or for parent consulting or parent training courses. Lori can also be found mentoring over at the MOMS Together Group on Facebook.
