Speaking God's Blessing Over Your Children

Do you ever think about the words you're communicating to your children? I remember a time when I was in the busy years of 24/7 parenting, I raised my voice so often it was commonplace. One day my kids said to me, “you yell at us all the time.” I quickly responded, “no I don’t” and they said in unison, “YES YOU DO!” That moment broke my heart a bit. It was about 10 years ago, and I still remember it vividly. I rationalized that they didn't obey me UNTIL I raised my voice. As I look back today I wish I hadn’t let things escalate to the point where I did raise my voice. I wish I would have spent more time speaking blessing over my children. It’s never too late to start!

Giving a blessing to your child can feel overwhelming because we feel like we don’t know what we would say. A blessing can be a prayer or commission, a Bible passage, or words of encouragement that you can speak over your child. The HomeFront Magazine we provide for you each month has a section with a blessing already written out that you can use to bless your children? Here is one from HomeFront, July 2019:

Read Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua, may you know how steadfast your heavenly Father is. Even in the moments when you may not be able to see the goodness the Lord your God is bringing, I pray that you will cling to His Word, His Spirit, and His truth. May you be reminded that your heavenly Father will never fail you and will always be with you wherever you go. In your deepest moments of discomfort, may you feel strong and courageous knowing that God is working on something glorious!

Speaking God’s blessing and scripture over our children is a tangible way to be encouraging them that God is always with them and that he desires to be in relationship with them.

- Cheryl Howard