Blessing Your Children
Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come…Your father’s blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains,” (Genesis 49:1, 26)
If you are a father, or you hope to be a father someday, God wants you to bless your children. More important than providing for them financially and physically, He wants you as a father to bless your children. In Genesis Chapter 49, Jacob blessed Joseph and his sons at the end of his life. Jacob’s words will give us some guidelines on blessing our children. If you want to honor and bless your children, I encourage you to do several things:
First, pick the right time. We need to understand that blessing our children is something that happens along the way. It needs to be after they are old enough to understand, and before you leave this planet. As a father, you don't know how long you have. God has used you to create a family with your spouse. Regardless of how long you live on this planet, you need to make the most of your time. The investment in the lives of your children is critical, and you need to pick the right time to bless them. Make a conscious effort to bless them.
Second, use the right words. Nothing is more powerful than when you use your words in a metaphor to describe how you feel about your child, the particular child you are choosing to bless. There are several different types of words you can use to bless your child: words of success, words of stability, words of tenacity, words of confidence, words of strength, and words of remembrance. I pray that you don’t miss out on the opportunities you have to use the right words to bless and encourage your children.
Third, reinforce what they already know. Joseph had already endured a life of pain, rejection, redemption, and renewal. Joseph was probably in his forties or early fifties by the time Jacob blessed him. You need to remember this, especially if you have older sons and daughters; it is never too late! We need to reinforce what our children already know about themselves. You should be applauding them for what they have already accomplished and endured. Applaud them for their tenacity when you see them accomplish things. Reinforce what they already know.
If you are a father, or you hope to be a father someday, God wants you to bless your children. More important than providing for them financially and physically, He wants you as a father to bless your children. In Genesis Chapter 49, Jacob blessed Joseph and his sons at the end of his life. Jacob’s words will give us some guidelines on blessing our children. If you want to honor and bless your children, I encourage you to do several things:
First, pick the right time. We need to understand that blessing our children is something that happens along the way. It needs to be after they are old enough to understand, and before you leave this planet. As a father, you don't know how long you have. God has used you to create a family with your spouse. Regardless of how long you live on this planet, you need to make the most of your time. The investment in the lives of your children is critical, and you need to pick the right time to bless them. Make a conscious effort to bless them.
Second, use the right words. Nothing is more powerful than when you use your words in a metaphor to describe how you feel about your child, the particular child you are choosing to bless. There are several different types of words you can use to bless your child: words of success, words of stability, words of tenacity, words of confidence, words of strength, and words of remembrance. I pray that you don’t miss out on the opportunities you have to use the right words to bless and encourage your children.
Third, reinforce what they already know. Joseph had already endured a life of pain, rejection, redemption, and renewal. Joseph was probably in his forties or early fifties by the time Jacob blessed him. You need to remember this, especially if you have older sons and daughters; it is never too late! We need to reinforce what our children already know about themselves. You should be applauding them for what they have already accomplished and endured. Applaud them for their tenacity when you see them accomplish things. Reinforce what they already know.
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4 Comments
That is so true. Children do want the blessings and encouragement from their fathers. And their mothers as well.
I have a 6 year old great grandson that his mother or father are not in church. I would love it if you would have your church and of course you Pastor to pray for their Salvation. I take my grandson to church and have talks about Jesus with him as often as I can. He had strep throat for the 5th time in 3 months when his mom called me to say Carter was sick again he asked her to let him speak to me. He ask me if I would call my Sunday School teacher and ask the people to pray for him it made me so happy. I know he's listening because he knows prayer do work. He's seeing a ENT doctor next week . Thanks for listening.
Mary, thank you for sharing that precious request. How blessed he is to have you in his life. I KNOW I am who I am because of my praying Grannies. Trusting as I joi. In prayer.
Dear, precious Mary. I praise God we can use brother Dobb’s platform to learn God’s Word and to pray foe others. I am a grandmother too of two small grandsons. I am grateful our daughter and son n law love the Lord and have them in church. Our families too are able to come alongside of our children to encourage and strengthen our grandsons in the Lord. I believe we grandparents are called to come alongside of our children to help them and to pray for them and our grandchildren as the Lord leads. We will pray for Carter that the Lord would strengthen his immune system to fight off these viruses that come along and we will pray for your daughter that the Lord will draw near to her and she would draw near Him and be saved in Jesus name, her and her household to the glory of God our Father. Amen. 🙏 We will keep you in prayer as well. I know as a grandmother our hearts ache for our children and grandchildren when they are not well. I praise God He has allowed us to be here in such a time as this to be a blessing and a witness of His marvelous Light to our children and grandchildren and those He has placed around us . May He strengthen you and all of us grandmothers in this calling to do His good will in Christ Jesus for His glory and namesake. Amen. 🙏. Love, Robin