Blessing Our Children with Our Words

August 3, 2024

How we speak to our children is essential. Our words can become their internal voice and follow them through adulthood, so it’s important for us to speak good, true, helpful, and kind words. It’s also important for us to bless them.

But some days, we might struggle to say something as profound as the blessing Isaac gave Jacob (Genesis 27:26-29) or the one Israel gave to Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:8-20). We might even struggle with imposter syndrome and wonder if we’re worthy of providing someone a blessing because we’re not holy enough, we don’t have enough religious training, or we don’t read our Bibles every day. As someone who struggles with those same thoughts and concerns, please allow me to assure you that you can do this. You don’t need special training to speak words of blessing over someone.

How do we give someone a verbal blessing? How can we teach our children to do the same?

A blessing’s intention. A blessing is not the same thing as a prayer, though it can and often does happen at the same time.

A prayer is to God. It’s a time when we can acknowledge his greatness, apologize for our sins, thank him for the blessings he’s given us, and ask for help.

A blessing is for a person. When we bless our children, or they bless a friend of theirs, we remind that person that God will move in their life. We can’t guarantee how he’ll show up, but we can promise he will.

How to bless someone. One way to bless someone is by speaking Bible verses over them, for example, Philippians 4:19, Numbers 6:24-26, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 4:7, Matthew 5:14-16 and Ephesians 3:17-19.

We can turn our prayers into blessings. Here are a few examples of what that might look like:

1. “May God watch over you and keep you safe as you sleep. May he guard your dreams and thoughts and help you keep your mind focused on good, pleasant, and holy things.”

2. “May the Lord go with you as you head to school today. May he guide your tongue as you talk to your classmates and give you words to say as you participate in your class debate.”

3. “I pray that God will draw you ever closer to him. May he be your friend when you’re lonely, your teacher when you are confused, and your guide when you think you’ve lost your way.”

Passing the practice along. The first way to teach children to bless others is to model it. Then, you can create opportunities for them to try it. Perhaps at a sibling’s birthday, everyone can offer up a blessing for the coming year.

Speaking words of blessing might seem a little strange at first, but whether or not you choose to say them in your everyday life or keep them for special occasions like New Year’s Day, Christmas, or their birthday, these simple words can fill our children’s hearts up and remind them that they are loved by you and by God.

Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article Why Our Words Matter