THE POWER OF BLESSING
By Rob Cresswell
THE POWER OF BLESSING
By Rob Cresswell
The power of blessing is often overlooked in everyday life but blessing others is a central theme in the gospel message. Have you ever had someone smile and say, “Bless you” (and not just because you sneezed)!? Perhaps you helped someone with their bags or did some other good turn – that might provoke them to say, “Bless you!” Some people say, “Bless you” all the time, almost as a greeting or a way of saying ‘have a nice day’. I think of my late father as being one of those, “Bless you” people – he was very liberal with his blessings!
But what do we mean by “Bless you”? Is it just a nice thing to say? -A slightly old fashioned nicety? Or is there something more to blessing others?
WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN WE BLESS OTHERS?
Well, if you think about it, there’s A LOT going on when we bless someone with sincerity because it’s rooted in some BASIC SPIRITUAL TRUTHS and BELIEFS:
When we bless others it’s actually an act of faith that is expressing:
- GOD EXISTS and IS GOOD
- WE OURSELVES ARE CHANNELS OF HIS GOODNESS
- THE RECIPIENT CAN ALSO RECEIVE GOD’S GOODNESS
That’s a powerful spiritual punch in such a small phrase! Not only that, but the act of blessing others also implicitly declares that we ourselves are beneficiaries of God’s grace (and that’s why we believe in the power of blessing in the first place).
So where does ‘blessing’ come from and why do we even believe we can bless others?
THE FIRST BLESSING
Did you know that the first thing to be blessed by God in the Biblical account is people?
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
The nature of this blessing was, in a nutshell, a thriving and purposeful future. Now hold onto that word ‘FUTURE’ because it’s important.
And the second thing in Genesis that God blesses in ‘the beginning’? It might surprise you because it’s a period of time – the seventh day:
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3
So God also blessed a time for all creation to be at peace or rest with the divine – in the PRESENT.
These first two blessings help us understand how true blessing is not simply about having a prosperous future but having one in the context of being right (or at peace/rest) with God today.
BLESSINGS IN JESUS
In the Christian faith, when we accept (by faith) Jesus as our saviour, the New Testament teaches that we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God – the place of Gods blessing and peace:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:3
This means that whatever your circumstances are today that, if you are in Christ, this is your true spiritual reality and destiny (because true sabbath rest is in Christ, Hebrews 4:9-11). That doesn’t mean that you may not suffer or face many challenges in life – but that you will do so from a present reality of peace with God and the hope of a brighter future (even an eternal one).
BLESSING OTHERS
In this verse from Ephesians Paul starts with blessing God himself – the author of all blessing. After all, it’s not difficult for us to bless God in the light of the rest of the verse: ‘Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing…’.
However, some may question the legitimacy of blessing others because, after all, most of the promises of blessing in the Bible are linked to conditions such as obedience or faith. So what right do we have to declare blessings over those who may be in disobedience or doubt?
This is where the teachings of Jesus shame us in our sense of misplaced protection towards God’s grace with this challenge from the Sermon on the Mount:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:44,48
A teaching so central to the Gospel that is repeated throughout the New Testament:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9
and
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14
Jesus teaches us that it’s easy to bless those who are good and kind to us but if we really want to be like our Father in heaven we should extend blessings to everyone – just like he does to us!
BLESSING IS AN INVITATION
What we need to understand about blessing is not only that it is deeply spiritual in nature – but also that ultimately blessing is an invitation. What do I mean by that? Putting it simply – that blessing someone (declaring the peace of God over someone) in the name of Jesus is always an invitation to know God fully in every aspect of life – wherever they are (or are not) in their faith walk.
Let’s just go back and look at that first blessing again:
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
When God blessed them he didn’t say – “You will be fruitful and fill the earth and subdue it” He said “Be fruitful…” inviting them to participate in the blessings of fruitfulness and authority. This invitation into future prosperity (spirit, body and soul) is rooted in the fertile ground of present faith. This is often why the blessings we read in the scriptures are often richly prophetic – because prophecy is an invitation to participate in the blessings of God too. For example, look how Abraham blesses his sons through prophecy:
“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.” Genesis 49:28
or how Elizabeth blesses Mary with a prophetic declaration:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:42-43
And the many blessings in Revelation for those who embrace Gods invitation to his banqueting table:
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Revelation 22:7
The power of blessing is truly prophetic in nature because it declares what a future in God may be – if we choose to walk in it through faith.
THE MIRACLE MENU
This is why one of the items on our ‘MIRACLE MENU‘ (a ministry resource designed for the market place) is ‘A GENERAL BLESSING‘ alongside ministries such as ‘HEALING’ and ‘SPIRITUAL DIRECTION’ because we have found that just about everybody is happy to receive a blessing. But that is where the fun really starts because as soon as we start to truly declare blessings over somebodies life, invariably prophetic blessing begins to flow, and we can begin to invite them into a whole new life in Jesus – peace with God today and the promise of a glorious future too!
So that is the real power of blessing – from a simple ‘God Bless You’ it is the power to reveal God’s grace and goodness not just for the future but for today as well. The truth is – you can’t force somebody to be blessed (because God never does) – but you can invite them to be, so who are you going to invite into God’s blessings today?
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
The power of blessing is often overlooked in everyday life but blessing others is a central theme in the gospel message. Have you ever had someone smile and say, “Bless you” (and not just because you sneezed)!? Perhaps you helped someone with their bags or did some other good turn – that might provoke them to say, “Bless you!” Some people say, “Bless you” all the time, almost as a greeting or a way of saying ‘have a nice day’. I think of my late father as being one of those, “Bless you” people – he was very liberal with his blessings!
But what do we mean by “Bless you”? Is it just a nice thing to say? -A slightly old fashioned nicety? Or is there something more to blessing others?
WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN WE BLESS OTHERS?
Well, if you think about it, there’s A LOT going on when we bless someone with sincerity because it’s rooted in some BASIC SPIRITUAL TRUTHS and BELIEFS:
When we bless others it’s actually an act of faith that is expressing:
- GOD EXISTS and IS GOOD
- WE OURSELVES ARE CHANNELS OF HIS GOODNESS
- THE RECIPIENT CAN ALSO RECEIVE GOD’S GOODNESS
That’s a powerful spiritual punch in such a small phrase! Not only that, but the act of blessing others also implicitly declares that we ourselves are beneficiaries of God’s grace (and that’s why we believe in the power of blessing in the first place).
So where does ‘blessing’ come from and why do we even believe we can bless others?
THE FIRST BLESSING
Did you know that the first thing to be blessed by God in the Biblical account is people?
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
The nature of this blessing was, in a nutshell, a thriving and purposeful future. Now hold onto that word ‘FUTURE’ because it’s important.
And the second thing in Genesis that God blesses in ‘the beginning’? It might surprise you because it’s a period of time – the seventh day:
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3
So God also blessed a time for all creation to be at peace or rest with the divine – in the PRESENT.
These first two blessings help us understand how true blessing is not simply about having a prosperous future but having one in the context of being right (or at peace/rest) with God today.
BLESSINGS IN JESUS
In the Christian faith, when we accept (by faith) Jesus as our saviour, the New Testament teaches that we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God – the place of Gods blessing and peace:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:3
This means that whatever your circumstances are today that, if you are in Christ, this is your true spiritual reality and destiny (because true sabbath rest is in Christ, Hebrews 4:9-11). That doesn’t mean that you may not suffer or face many challenges in life – but that you will do so from a present reality of peace with God and the hope of a brighter future (even an eternal one).
BLESSING OTHERS
In this verse from Ephesians Paul starts with blessing God himself – the author of all blessing. After all, it’s not difficult for us to bless God in the light of the rest of the verse: ‘Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing…’.
However, some may question the legitimacy of blessing others because, after all, most of the promises of blessing in the Bible are linked to conditions such as obedience or faith. So what right do we have to declare blessings over those who may be in disobedience or doubt?
This is where the teachings of Jesus shame us in our sense of misplaced protection towards God’s grace with this challenge from the Sermon on the Mount:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:44,48
A teaching so central to the Gospel that is repeated throughout the New Testament:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9
and
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14
Jesus teaches us that it’s easy to bless those who are good and kind to us but if we really want to be like our Father in heaven we should extend blessings to everyone – just like he does to us!
BLESSING IS AN INVITATION
What we need to understand about blessing is not only that it is deeply spiritual in nature – but also that ultimately blessing is an invitation. What do I mean by that? Putting it simply – that blessing someone (declaring the peace of God over someone) in the name of Jesus is always an invitation to know God fully in every aspect of life – wherever they are (or are not) in their faith walk.
Let’s just go back and look at that first blessing again:
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
When God blessed them he didn’t say – “You will be fruitful and fill the earth and subdue it” He said “Be fruitful…” inviting them to participate in the blessings of fruitfulness and authority. This invitation into future prosperity (spirit, body and soul) is rooted in the fertile ground of present faith. This is often why the blessings we read in the scriptures are often richly prophetic – because prophecy is an invitation to participate in the blessings of God too. For example, look how Abraham blesses his sons through prophecy:
“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.” Genesis 49:28
or how Elizabeth blesses Mary with a prophetic declaration:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:42-43
And the many blessings in Revelation for those who embrace Gods invitation to his banqueting table:
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Revelation 22:7
The power of blessing is truly prophetic in nature because it declares what a future in God may be – if we choose to walk in it through faith.
THE MIRACLE MENU
This is why one of the items on our ‘MIRACLE MENU‘ (a ministry resource designed for the market place) is ‘A GENERAL BLESSING‘ alongside ministries such as ‘HEALING’ and ‘SPIRITUAL DIRECTION’ because we have found that just about everybody is happy to receive a blessing. But that is where the fun really starts because as soon as we start to truly declare blessings over somebodies life, invariably prophetic blessing begins to flow, and we can begin to invite them into a whole new life in Jesus – peace with God today and the promise of a glorious future too!
So that is the real power of blessing – from a simple ‘God Bless You’ it is the power to reveal God’s grace and goodness not just for the future but for today as well. The truth is – you can’t force somebody to be blessed (because God never does) – but you can invite them to be, so who are you going to invite into God’s blessings today?
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
The power of blessing is often overlooked in everyday life but blessing others is a central theme in the gospel message. Have you ever had someone smile and say, “Bless you” (and not just because you sneezed)!? Perhaps you helped someone with their bags or did some other good turn – that might provoke them to say, “Bless you!” Some people say, “Bless you” all the time, almost as a greeting or a way of saying ‘have a nice day’. I think of my late father as being one of those, “Bless you” people – he was very liberal with his blessings!
But what do we mean by “Bless you”? Is it just a nice thing to say? -A slightly old fashioned nicety? Or is there something more to blessing others?
WHAT IS HAPPENING WHEN WE BLESS OTHERS?
Well, if you think about it, there’s A LOT going on when we bless someone with sincerity because it’s rooted in some BASIC SPIRITUAL TRUTHS and BELIEFS:
When we bless others it’s actually an act of faith that is expressing:
- GOD EXISTS and IS GOOD
- WE OURSELVES ARE CHANNELS OF HIS GOODNESS
- THE RECIPIENT CAN ALSO RECEIVE GOD’S GOODNESS
That’s a powerful spiritual punch in such a small phrase! Not only that, but the act of blessing others also implicitly declares that we ourselves are beneficiaries of God’s grace (and that’s why we believe in the power of blessing in the first place).
So where does ‘blessing’ come from and why do we even believe we can bless others?
THE FIRST BLESSING
Did you know that the first thing to be blessed by God in the Biblical account is people?
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
The nature of this blessing was, in a nutshell, a thriving and purposeful future. Now hold onto that word ‘FUTURE’ because it’s important.
And the second thing in Genesis that God blesses in ‘the beginning’? It might surprise you because it’s a period of time – the seventh day:
“Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:3
So God also blessed a time for all creation to be at peace or rest with the divine – in the PRESENT.
These first two blessings help us understand how true blessing is not simply about having a prosperous future but having one in the context of being right (or at peace/rest) with God today.
BLESSINGS IN JESUS
In the Christian faith, when we accept (by faith) Jesus as our saviour, the New Testament teaches that we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the Kingdom of God – the place of Gods blessing and peace:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” Ephesians 1:3
This means that whatever your circumstances are today that, if you are in Christ, this is your true spiritual reality and destiny (because true sabbath rest is in Christ, Hebrews 4:9-11). That doesn’t mean that you may not suffer or face many challenges in life – but that you will do so from a present reality of peace with God and the hope of a brighter future (even an eternal one).
BLESSING OTHERS
In this verse from Ephesians Paul starts with blessing God himself – the author of all blessing. After all, it’s not difficult for us to bless God in the light of the rest of the verse: ‘Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing…’.
However, some may question the legitimacy of blessing others because, after all, most of the promises of blessing in the Bible are linked to conditions such as obedience or faith. So what right do we have to declare blessings over those who may be in disobedience or doubt?
This is where the teachings of Jesus shame us in our sense of misplaced protection towards God’s grace with this challenge from the Sermon on the Mount:
“But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:44,48
A teaching so central to the Gospel that is repeated throughout the New Testament:
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9
and
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14
Jesus teaches us that it’s easy to bless those who are good and kind to us but if we really want to be like our Father in heaven we should extend blessings to everyone – just like he does to us!
BLESSING IS AN INVITATION
What we need to understand about blessing is not only that it is deeply spiritual in nature – but also that ultimately blessing is an invitation. What do I mean by that? Putting it simply – that blessing someone (declaring the peace of God over someone) in the name of Jesus is always an invitation to know God fully in every aspect of life – wherever they are (or are not) in their faith walk.
Let’s just go back and look at that first blessing again:
“God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:28
When God blessed them he didn’t say – “You will be fruitful and fill the earth and subdue it” He said “Be fruitful…” inviting them to participate in the blessings of fruitfulness and authority. This invitation into future prosperity (spirit, body and soul) is rooted in the fertile ground of present faith. This is often why the blessings we read in the scriptures are often richly prophetic – because prophecy is an invitation to participate in the blessings of God too. For example, look how Abraham blesses his sons through prophecy:
“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him.” Genesis 49:28
or how Elizabeth blesses Mary with a prophetic declaration:
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:42-43
And the many blessings in Revelation for those who embrace Gods invitation to his banqueting table:
“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.” Revelation 22:7
The power of blessing is truly prophetic in nature because it declares what a future in God may be – if we choose to walk in it through faith.
THE MIRACLE MENU
This is why one of the items on our ‘MIRACLE MENU‘ (a ministry resource designed for the market place) is ‘A GENERAL BLESSING‘ alongside ministries such as ‘HEALING’ and ‘SPIRITUAL DIRECTION’ because we have found that just about everybody is happy to receive a blessing. But that is where the fun really starts because as soon as we start to truly declare blessings over somebodies life, invariably prophetic blessing begins to flow, and we can begin to invite them into a whole new life in Jesus – peace with God today and the promise of a glorious future too!
So that is the real power of blessing – from a simple ‘God Bless You’ it is the power to reveal God’s grace and goodness not just for the future but for today as well. The truth is – you can’t force somebody to be blessed (because God never does) – but you can invite them to be, so who are you going to invite into God’s blessings today?
About the Author: Rob Cresswell
Related Posts
