I attended the Dads4Kids Men’s Leadership Summit last weekend (9-11 August 2024) and had the privilege of giving the Father’s Blessing to all who were there.

It was an amazing time; many lives were impacted as a bunch of blokes had a great time, while talking through major issues facing us all. It was a life-changing weekend that I recommend to all men. Thanks, Warwick and Nathaniel Marsh, and the whole team, for an amazing weekend.

As requested, here is a copy of the blessing, plus some explanation of The Awesome Power of Blessing (a book by Richard Brunton, bulk order here).

Richard writes in his book about the French words for cursing and blessing: “malediction” (bad speaking) for curses and “benediction” (good speaking). He says if “bad speaking” was powerful, then “good speaking” should be at least as powerful and, with God, much more powerful!

We know this is true from the Bible, which tells us to watch what we speak. It is best understood from Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Also, in Matthew 12:37, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned”.

Powerful

As dads, what we say matters. Our words impact our family, especially our children.  Controlling our words helps us control all aspects of our lives.

In Genesis chapter 25, Jacob gets Esau to sell his birthright, and in Genesis chapter 27, Isaac blesses Jacob. I won’t go into the details, but Jacob valued his father’s blessing, and Esau traded it for a pot of red lentil stew. Blessing matters and has power! Jacob later becomes Israel.

I asked the group at the Men’s Leadership Summit if they had every been blessed by their own fathers.  Only a few put their hands up, which was to me, quite sad.

I asked a couple of fathers, with their sons, to stand with the fathers’ hands on their sons’ shoulders as an example (thanks Warwick and Nathaniel, Rodney and Luke). We then declared a father’s blessing over everyone and recommended that they bless their children individually when they got home. This was an impactful moment for many.

Here is the blessing we declared over everyone; please take it, adjust/adapt it personally for each of your children, and use it to bless each child separately. As you speak this blessing over each child in faith, expect the Lord to answer this prayer and see what God will do. You can also pray a blessing over your wife!

I pray that our Father in Heaven blesses each one of you who blesses others.

The Father’s Blessing

My child, I love you! You are special. You are a gift from God.
I thank God for allowing me to be a father to you.
I am proud of you, and I rejoice over you.

And now I bless you.

I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only the Prince of Peace can give.
I bless your life with fruitfulness: good fruit, abundant fruit and fruit that remains.
I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath.

I bless the gifts that God has given you.
I bless you with wisdom to make good decisions and to develop your full potential in Christ.
I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others.

I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth.
I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with your Lord.

You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

I bless you with good friends. You have favour with God and man.
I bless you with vision, direction, protection, health, healing, compassion, care, love, fulfilment, prosperity and all that God has for your life.
I bless you with an abounding and overflowing love, from which you will minister God’s grace and Gospel of salvation to others. Many will hear of the Lord from your mouth.

You will minister God’s comforting grace to others.

May you have intimacy with the Father in Heaven, and this will lead to knowing His heart in all matters.

You are blessed, my child!

You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

I bless you with all of these good things in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Amen!

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Republished with thanks to Ruach haKodesh Ministries. Image courtesy of Adobe.