Deuteronomy 1:11 “May the LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times more numerous than you are, and bless you as He has promised you!“
Numerous times in Scripture we read of the desire for God to bless! For example, Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:10 prayed “to the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You would bless me indeed,” Jacob in Genesis 32:26 did not want to let go of God unless God would bless him! It is natural to want God’s blessings on one’s life. I know I want God to bless my life and ministry. However, as I read Deuteronomy 1:11 I am challenged to consider if I am asking God to bless others the way Moses wanted to see God’s people blessed. Having read the verse I believe wanting God to bless others should be one of our highest desires. Asking God to bless others should be one of our greatest activities.
You can be a blessing to others by asking God to bring blessings to others!
To further reinforce this idea of asking God to bless others notice a few other verses.
There is the priestly blessing that Aaron and his son were to pray for God’s people found in Numbers 6:24-26. Starting with verse 23 it says, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: “The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; 26 The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
Have you prayed this prayer for family and friends, lately?
One might think sometimes that saying the Lord bless you is just a cliche but it is very Biblical. In the story of Ruth and Boaz, we read of how “Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered him, “The LORD bless you!” (Ruth 2:4)
What a prayer greeting to give someone!
We are even to pray for God’s blessings on our enemies. Jesus teaches this and it is found in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28. Matthew 5:44 says, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Luke 6:28 says, “Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
The apostle Paul put the teaching into practice in 1 Corinthians 4:12. It says, “And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
In one of the most moving moments in the Bible, we read of Jacob blessing his grandsons in Genesis 48:9 and 16. In verse 9 Joseph said to his father, “These are my sons, whom God has given me in this place. And JACOB said, Please bring them to me, and I will bless them. Then in verse 16 Jacob prayed saying “The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
What a prayer for parents and grandparents to pray over their children and grandchildren.
Take a moment and pray the blessing on family and friends – even enemies!
Continue Strong being a blessing by asking God to bless others,
And remember to DATE the Word