Category: Blessing

Let’s read aloud together from Numbers 6:22-27 (NIV) and 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)

²² The Lord said to Moses, ²³ “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
²⁴ “‘“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”’
²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

⁹ But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Let’s pray aloud together: “Father, turn your face toward us and shine on your churches today! Anoint us afresh as your chosen people, your royal priesthood, your holy nation, your special possession, to declare your praises and to bear your blessing to our cities, neighborhoods, campuses and households. In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let us worship to the song, “Benediction” by Matt Redman (click here).

– NB

Joshua 5:2, 7, 9 NIV
² At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again.”

⁷ So he raised up their sons in their place, and these were the ones Joshua circumcised. They were still uncircumcised because they had not been circumcised on the way.

⁹ Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

“This is an unthinkable situation – the parents of this generation had completely failed to impart the blessing of the covenant to their children, so that they could NOT be a blessing to the world. They forgot completely who they were. However, the Lord graciously called them into realignment – not just a religious act or ritual, but an identity realignment as part of the people of God. The blessing was that they were given a new name – no longer the Wandering Generation – they were now the Promised Land generation.” – [excerpt from P. Nate’s message]

Our Father God called us out of the “fatherless” generation, and adopted us into his own family by giving his only Son for us. The shame of every curse has been rolled away through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus!

Let’s close by praying, “Lord, thank you for removing the curse of sin in my life, and bringing me into the family of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “Living with a Fire” by Jesus Culture (click here).

– NB

Ephesians 1:19b-20, 22-23 NIV
That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms… And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 

“When I think about God’s blessing in my life, I think about how much He has changed me over the years, especially in my views about the church. I see now that God’s blessing flows through His church, his body made of many parts working together to bring the love and healing of Christ into our world. I have come to see that relationships with our pastors, brothers and sisters are not just social, but we are all tied together by God’s Spirit and we’re all unified by God’s redemptive work in our lives.” – [excerpt from Mike Lawson’s testimony]

God has established the church as the conduit of blessing for the whole earth, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God’s fullness resides in his people through the fullness of Christ, who is the head of his church.

Let’s thank the Lord today by praying, “Father, you provide everything we need through the fullness of Christ expressed in the church. Thank you for bringing me into the body of Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen. “

Let’s close by singing, “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship (click here).

– NB

 Genesis 17:1-5 NIV
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” ³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 

God’s heart for us has always been to bless and fill our lives. Even at creation, God blessed Adam and Eve, and sent them to be fruitful stewards of the good creation. However, as they exploited God’s blessing through sinful disobedience, the ground of the earth became cursed (“curse” is used five times in Genesis 1-11). Yet, God’s plan of blessing continued through Abraham (Genesis 12), who became the “father of many nations” (17:5). The Father’s blessing became Abraham’s blessing, which has now become our blessing, as we are descendants of Abraham through faith in Jesus (Romans 4:16-17).

Let’s close in prayer today by praying, “Father, thank you for inviting me to be your child. May I walk faithfully before you today. Pour out your Fatherly blessing in my life! In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “Do It Again” by Elevation Worship (click here).

– NB

Genesis 1:28a NIV
²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” 

Genesis 12:2-3 NIV
² “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

“’Blessing’ is a biblical term with rich resonances, implying the reversal of sin’s curse and the restoration of creation’s fullness… Blessing restores all the good that God had generously bestowed on the creation in the beginning (e.g., Gen. 1:22, 28) and thus anticipates his subsequent redemptive work for the flourishing of human beings, in relationship with God, with one another, and with the nonhuman creation.” – Michael Goheen (A Light to the Nations)

Since the beginning, God’s heart has been to bless. In Genesis 1, humankind is commissioned to be fruitful and increase, to fill his creation. In Christ, the church has now been commissioned to flourish as people of the new creation. We now exist as God’s blessing to our neighborhoods and cities.

Let’s close in prayer today by praying, “Father, thank you for calling me into the blessing of being part of your people. May your blessing come through me to others around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.“

Let’s close by singing, “Alive In You” by Jesus Culture (click here).

– NB