Speaking the Blessing

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

The Power Of Speaking The Blessing

A simple daily act can convey the goodness of God to your children and assure them of your love.
Paul Thigpen

Can such a small, seemingly insignificant action of speaking the blessing make a difference in the lives of our children,our friends or anyone who needs your blessing?

The parents I know who practice a family blessing agree that it does. Our experience has confirmed what those scriptural examples illustrate: The act of blessing — a simple, spoken prayer for God’s favor to rest on someone, accompanied by a symbolic physical gesture — is a powerful vehicle of God’s grace.

We’re not saying, of course, that these few words of blessing can mechanically or magically produce heavenly benefits in our family or friends lives.

A blessing is obviously no substitute for a healthy parent-child or friendly relationship, nor should it replace parental or personal prayer.

But we’ve observed that a blessing of this sort, when spoken daily over the years, provides an occasion for God’s love and our love to be communicated simply and effectively to our children and whoever else you feel need blessing. As that love is confirmed again and again in their minds and hearts, it gradually transforms them.

In concrete terms, parents who give blessing to their children and friends in this way are setting aside a critical moment each day to accomplish several purposes.

First, the blessing is actually a prayer of faith on behalf of the ones your giving the blessing to. God’s power is unleashed for their benefit when you, standing in a God-ordained place of authority and responsibility, speak words of God’s favor over them.

Second, a blessing affirms ones worth and importance. When we pause from our hectic schedules to bless others, it says to them: “You are valuable; you are precious to me and to God.”

Third, a blessing assures them that their friends,family and their heavenly Father love them and desire to protect and provide for them. Thus it cultivates a feeling of safety and security — a feeling heightened by the aspect of physical touch.

Fourth, a daily blessing adds a rhythm, a sense of regularity, to our  lives that’s comforting and stabilizing. This is especially true when we use the same words to bless them each day and give the blessing at the same point in our daily schedule.

Finally, the blessing can make a difference in us as well. Setting aside time to bless our family and friends provides us with a daily reminder of how precious they are and a chance to refocus our thoughts on their welfare. In addition, if we have experienced any conflicts with them during the day, it offers an opportunity to be reconciled. It’s hard to bless them without first getting over your anger and getting right with them.

For all these reasons, a daily blessing can enrich your family. The investment of time is small, yet the rewards last a lifetime. Here’s how to get started:

Speaking The Blessing To Empower And Bless Others

Have A Blessed Day,

Timothy Eller