God blesses us throughout His Word. In fact, in my 1968 Webster’s Dictionary, the word “bless” is shown to come from the Anglo-Saxon root word “blod,” meaning blood. It says it comes from the “rite of consecration by sprinkling the altar with blood.” Think of it! To bless someone is the same as to consecrate them with the very blood of Jesus! How much more blessed can you get than that? What power we carry in the blessings of our words!
The day Jesus was baptized in water, God pronounced to all generations, “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus received a “baruch” blessing from His Father that gave Him the confidence and inner strength He needed to carry out the plan of salvation.
I wonder if Jesus would have been as secure in who He was if He would have never received that blessing? We can only speculate, but haven’t you ever wondered why God did that? Whose benefit was it really for – for those within earshot, or His son’s?
If God saw the need to openly honor and bless His son in front of others, what message does that give us as parents, and those who minister to or care for children? So often we’ve heard, “It’s not things our children want. It’s us.” A part of “us” they crave is our approval – our acknowledgement of who and what they are. They want our blessing!
It’s easy to spot kids that never got that blessing from their dads. It may be displayed in different ways. Some may be withdrawn, and insecure, while others become loud and pushy. Others may get in trouble with authorities, or hang out with the wrong friends. It’s all an attempt to find that approval they never felt they got at home.
They are the adults who are constantly looking for approval from an employer or their pastor because they never got it from home. Surprisingly, even where negative and critical words may have never been spoken, the mere absence of positive words carried the same affect. The child is left to his own conclusions about how his parents feel about him, and it’s seldom good. How simple is it to just tell our children we’re proud of them, and to speak a simple blessing over their lives?
What a shame to have to wait a lifetime, such as the deathbed of a parent, before one hears those word, “You can do anything and you’ll be a success!” Often we don’t know how to bless our children because our fathers never blessed us. It’s time to start a new family tradition!
Start today! Bless your children going out, and bless them coming in (Deut. 28:6). Bless them when they rise up, and bless them when they lie down. The blessings of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting – and so are the blessings of the fathers to their children!
This article is part 3 of The Power of Blessing Your Children. Part 1 is entitled My Father’s Blessing. Part 2 is entitled Grand Saint of God.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Becky Fischer, apostolic minister, writer, public speaker, graphic artist, and more, is the founder and director of Kids in Ministry International (KIMI). KIMI is a multifaceted ministry that trains children to walk in the supernatural power of God. It also equips leaders and parents to prepare children the same way. Becky has been in children's ministry for over 30 years, ten years as a children's pastor, and twenty years as the director of KIMI. Along with her international teams, she has trained thousands of children, teens, parents, and children's workers through conferences, Bible schools, mission trips, churches, and resource materials in over 50 nations. Becky herself has ministered in 29 of those nations.
Becky is the author of the book "Redefining Children's Ministry" in the 21st Century, "Jesus Camp My Story," and four children's books. She has also authored/co-authored seventeen unique and dynamic children's church curriculums, many of which have been translated into more than fifteen different languages. Becky was featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film Jesus Camp in 2006.
Ms. Fischer has ministered in 29 nations and 26 US states. She was also in business management for 23 years before going into full-time ministry.