Have you ever wondered how to pray God’s blessing over your life? God deeply desires to bless you and He even gives a template of what to pray in the Old Testament.
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The Aaronic Blessing
The Aaronic Blessing has become very popular following Kari Jobe’s release of The Blessing. But the Blessing is not new, in fact, it has been around since the Bible was written. We can find the original benediction in Numbers 6:24-26, where the Lord tells Moses to instruct Aaron and his sons to bless the Israelites. They were to say:
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
This passage used to be widely known among Christians. Pastors would say it after Sunday sermons, devotionals would have it as part of the daily reading, and parents would pray it over their children. But for some reason, it seemed to drift away until the song was written and it was popularized again (God has a way of making His promises known to us).
God’s Blessing is important to pray because it reminds you of the truth of who God is and who you are in Him. In Christ, you have so much value. As you go through your day, it becomes easy to feel unimportant and worthless, hurried along by the currents of life, but God values us. God desires to give us every promise He said in The Blessing. Although you cannot claim those promises unless you remember the Blessing throughout your day.
Related post: How to Pray The Lord’s Prayer Over Your Life
Here is a breakdown of the six Promises in God’s blessing:
The Lord Bless You.
The Hebrew word used here is barak, meaning to bless, or to kneel down. A blessing is a favor or a gift given to someone from the Lord. So in a word picture, you can see God kneeling down before you and offering you His gifts.
The Lord Keep You.
The Hebrew word used here is Shamar, meaning to keep and preserve. To preserve means to keep something in its original state. Your original state came when God created you before the beginning of the world to be Holy and Blameless in His Sight (Ephesians 3). When God preserves you, He is working to bring you back into that close relationship with him.
Shamar also means to guard and protect, by hedging in with thorns. It was a common practice for those tending sheep to make an encasement out of thorns so that no predator could get in to harm the sheep. In the same way, God is going on all sides of you and stopping harm from coming to you.
The Lord Make His face Shine Upon You.
The Hebrew words used here are Paniym or.
Paniym Means “face” or “countenance”. It is also translated as “presence”. Here, the Lord is saying that His presence will go with you. This is the same word that is used in Genesis when Adam and Eve were in the garden after they had sinned and eaten the fruit that they were told not to eat. Adam and Eve heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and they hid from the presence of the Lord God. (Genesis 3:8). This verse is saying that God is walking beside you.
Or means “Shine” or “illuminate.” God’s presence is lighting the way for you. Psalm 119:105 says “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” God’s presence lights the way for you so that you do not stumble.
The Lord Be Gracious To You.
The Hebrew word used here is hanan, meaning gracious, or mercy. This promise says that the Lord will be courteous, kind, and pleasant, showing divine grace to you. It also says that the Lord will show compassion and forgiveness when it is within His power to condemn you for your sins (separation from Christ).
The Lord Turn His Face Toward You.
The Hebrew words used here are nasa paniym. Again, paniym is face or presence while nasa is to bear, carry, support, and endure. So while God is being present with you, he is carrying your burdens. Psalms 55:22 says to “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
The Lord Give You Peace.
Peace is something we all desire.
The Hebrew word used here is shalom, meaning peace, prosperity, or completeness. It is also used to signify friendship with God. Shalom is to restore what has been lost or taken by making something whole again. God desires to restore you. God’s blessing for you includes a peace that surpasses all understanding, no matter what circumstances you face.
A deeper understanding of God’s blessing
Now that you know some of the Hebrew behind this passage, you can come to a more full picture of the Aaronic Blessing, and how God desires to bless you.
YHWH (the LORD) will kneel before you presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.
The LORD, YHWY, will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.
YHWH (the LORD) will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.
Praying God’s Blessing
As you pray this Blessing, pause over each phrase and allow the truth of God to sink in. Thank God for His continued goodness and faithfulness in your life.
Pray this Blessing at the beginning of your devotions to open yourself up to God’s truth and what He wants to speak to you as you read His word.
You can also pray this Blessing at the end of your devotions as a benediction, reflecting on God’s attributes, and who God has called you to be in Him.
Furthermore, you can pray this Blessing as you go about your day. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray continually. Praying the Blessing throughout your day will help you to be focused on God. By focusing on God, you ensure that the worries and deceitfulness of life do not choke out what you hear (Matthew 13). Isaiah 26:3 says that “God will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because they trust in Him.” God’s blessing for you is that you will find completeness in Him. That you will go to Him and find your joy and strength for the day.
Remembering God’s Blessing
The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.
Think about God’s blessing as you go about your week. Write it down where you can see it and be reminded of His love for you. Rest in the peace of knowing that no matter what you go through, God will always be there with you.
[…] you with. Reflect on the scriptures and the impact they have on your life. You can even pray the Aaronic Blessing over yourself as a benediction as you close this […]