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The Power of blessing

‘Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.’ (Proverbs 11:11)

Many people have been stirred by The Blessing song by Kari Jobe, particularly when it was sung by people from churches across the UK to create The UK Blessing during the lockdown period during the Coronavirus in April 2020. In this incredible performance people of all ages, races, backgrounds and denominations united to sing the Aaronic Blessing over our nation, the United Kingdom, with passion, power and conviction in a way that touched millions. As I watched it I sensed in my spirit that this was anointed by the Holy Spirit and was doing something deep and powerful in the spiritual realm as words of truth and blessing were declared through song into the atmosphere. It truly felt like an army rising up and advancing on the enemy who has no choice but to flee.

The UK Blessing

‘The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face towards you

And give you peace.

Amen, amen, amen; amen, amen, amen;

May his favour be upon you

And a thousand generations

Your family and your children and their children and their children.’

Amen, amen, amen. (based on Numbers 6: 22-27)

The principle of blessing

The principle of blessing was first made known to me when I visited Ffald-y-brenin, a Christian retreat centre in Pembrokeshire, Wales. At this time the centre was run by Roy and Daphne Godwin and was known for the atmosphere of peace and the presence of God that filled it and the surrounding area. In the centre the day was built upon a ‘rhythm of prayer’ and during these times prayers and blessings were spoken over the local area to bring health, prosperity, peace, faith and wellbeing to all who lived and worked there and to those who passed through. As a result there were numerous reports of physical and emotional healings, restored relationships in marriages and families, prosperity for local businesses, abundance of crops for farmers and multiple births among livestock. Many people had experiences where they were overcome with a sense of the presence of God, with feelings of intense peace, joy and an overwhelming need and desire to worship.

I would like to use one or two examples of material from Ffald-y-brenin to demonstrate the principle of blessing prayer:

  1. Safe streets

Proclamation: We proclaim that God is the mighty shield over our communities:

Scripture: I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15.1)

Declaration: We declare that God is the protector and shield over our communities.

Blessing: We bless our streets with the peace of Jesus and with being safe places to live

2. Knowing the love of God

Proclamation: We proclaim that God is love

Scripture: He who does not love does not know God, for God is love, (1 John 4:8) … because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us (Romans5:5)

Declaration: We declare that the love of God will be known and felt in our communities, being shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, as out of our innermost being flows rivers of living water (love).

Blessing: We bless our communities with the love and peace of God which passes all understanding. We bless our communities with being rooted and grounded in the love of God.

(Taken from “Keep on praying and bless”, compiled by Jill Gower and Robbie Bain- Call to Prayer –www.call2prayer.co.uk and Caroline Anderson- The Well-www.houseofglorynetwork.com

Declarations and Blessings for real life situations)

Let us rise up and bless our families, communities, workplaces and entire nation with a mighty and united song of worship and praise to Almighty God, speaking out and declaring His presence over us. May many believe and turn to Him at this time of fear, confusion and turmoil in the world and may many come to know His wonderful love and receive Jesus as their Saviour.

How can we do this?

There are many ways, I believe, but I will just list a few which I have experienced and which I have found to be effective:

  • Speaking and declaring Scriptures over your home, family, children, neighbourhood, such as the Blessing shown above or the examples quoted from the Ffald-y-brenin materials.  The Psalms also provide a wealth of verses which can be read and turned into a prayer of blessing.
  • Speaking out the names and attributes of God; He is great, mighty, holy, righteous, all-knowing, all- powerful, our Deliverer, Provider, Creator, Father, our Rock, Fortress, Hiding place, Shelter.
  • Singing or playing worship songs cause words of truth and life to be expressed into the spiritual atmosphere.
  • Praising and thanking God for who He is and what He has done in your life.
  • Prayer walking around our home, street, local area, workplace. This might be praying the Lord’s Prayer or the Blessing, or blessing the people in these places by praying for them.

Evidence of effective prayer

To illustrate this, two years ago during the summer holiday season there was some trouble and disruption caused by groups of teenagers on the local streets where we lived, including a fire being started and motorists being blocked from driving along certain streets, causing serious inconvenience and public nuisance, as well as generating an atmosphere of fear to local residents. My friend and I felt a prompt from the Holy Spirit to pray over the area using the principle of blessing, so we walked to the local park and spoke blessings over the neighbourhood, blessing it with the peace and presence of God. We also prayed against a spirit of rebellion and lawlessness and blessed the teenagers with having wholesome and constructive interests and activities to pursue during the holiday, and with healthy friendships and positive role models to influence them for good.  We repeated these blessings over the following days and, praise God, there was no more trouble at all for the rest of the holiday period. 

Praise and worship, prayer and blessing are truly powerful weapons against the enemy! Praying and worshipping together with other Christians gives the added dimension of unity and builds faith, as there is great power in agreement.

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.”  (Matthew 18: 19-20)

How wonderful it is that through our prayers and blessings, both individual and collective, we can bring the blessing of God, like a blanket over those in our communities! As we unite in love and agreement we form a covering of love and protection over and around them, sealed by the blood of Jesus, against which the enemy has no defence. So let us rise up, pray and bless, and see God move powerfully in our nation.

You can share…

If you would like to share any ways in which you have used blessings effectively it would be good to hear them.

Ffald-y-brenin
The UK BLESSING

Fill up the heavenly bowls!

This morning I had to go to the local Co-op to buy some potatoes and, due to the coronavirus, had to queue for some time outside the shop. The queue had about twenty people in it and I was about 6th in line. Whenever someone came out another was allowed in.  As slowly the queue started to move forward a few steps at a time a song came into my mind- ‘We wanna see Jesus lifted high’ by Doug Horley, particularly the line

 ‘Step by step we’re moving forward,

little by little taking ground.

I though it a bit humourous, to relieve the boredom of waiting, but then the next line came to mind…

Every prayer a powerful weapon

Strongholds come tumbling down and down and down and down.’

Through these words the Lord reminded me of the need to keep praying for family and friends who do not know Him yet. Is there someone for whom you have been praying for a long time and seen no apparent progress?  Maybe you think it is pointless and nothing is happening. I know I think this way at times. But take heart! Every prayer is a powerful weapon, each prayer counts and gradually the enemy’s hold is being weakened. Remember, the prayers of the saints are filling those bowls in heaven and are a sweet- smelling fragrance to the Lord:

Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.  The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. (Revelation 8:3-5)

 He is working even though we can’t see or feel it, and much activity is taking place in the spiritual realm because of your prayers. Don’t give up!

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6: 9 )

Lost and Found

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15: 4-10)

Have you lost anything of great value, or something very precious to you? The sense of relief you feel when you find it again is immense. But worse, have you ever lost a child? I recall one occasion when my son was about fifteen years of age he was lost, after a football match. I couldn’t find him anywhere and no one had seen him leave. I made phone calls, and drove all around the area to look in different places where he could be. I still remember the panic I felt when after an hour I still hadn’t found him. When I did eventually find him standing in an alleyway just outside the field, my relief cannot be described.

God gave me a picture of a father searching for His children in a thick forest. He would not give up searching until each one was found. Then I saw a river flowing in all directions, through streets, alleyways, buildings, fields, valleys, towns. Over it all stood the cross. The river represented the love of God flowing full and free, compelling, irresistible and overwhelming.  If you are already a believer, then pray that you would be able to do your part in spreading the message of His love. Let us all ask God to show us what our unique assignment is to bring His love and truth to our hurting world.

If you do not yet know God then let the river of His love carry you along. Don’t try to resist it; be caught up in His love and embrace it.

Father God is longing to find you, His precious child. He is desperate for all His lost children to come to Him, not remain separated. He is searching constantly and calling your name, to come to Him and be safe with Him. The Bible is really one long story about how God our Father is searching for His lost children. Won’t you respond to His call today and run into His loving arms? How amazing it is to be totally overwhelmed by His love as He welcomes and accepts us as we are, unconditionally. We can accept and receive this amazing love through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ upon the cross.

There will be a huge celebration in heaven when you are found!

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

The Moving Walkway

You may have heard the old hymn ‘O God, our help in ages past’. Verse 5 says:

Time, like an everlasting stream

Bears all its sons away.

They fly forgotten as a dream

Dies at the opening day

(Isaac Watts)

While I was praying, I had a ‘picture’ in my mind.   It was a moving walkway in an airport, with many people moving along it, all day. People stepping on, moving to the end, then stepping off before disappearing as they go on their way. Thousands of people travel along this short track every day but no one knows or cares about the individuals who walk along it, or where they are headed. It is just a continuous flow of people.

Yet God sees and knows each one. So it is with life. Throughout time, billions are born, live and die, yet each life has purpose and value; each one is unique and precious to God. It grieves Him to see so many reach the end of their life and not having met Him- a precious life passed into eternity without Him.

If you are reading this and do not yet know Jesus, why not receive Him now as your Saviour?

Or, if you already know Him, ask God to help you share the message of His love and salvation with others, as He leads you

Oh, Lord, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him?  Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.”  

(Psalm 144.4)

A Message of Hope

Is there a God and does He know or care?

I have been a Christian for many years and throughout my life God has given me hope, strength and peace, whether my circumstances have been easy or hard.

Chaos all around

At this time the world is in a state of crisis caused by the Coronavirus and fear is rampant. Many people are worried about the uncertainty and insecurity we face as all we depend on is being shaken. What will happen if our human resources run out? Is there a God and does He know or care? Will this end and is there hope for us?

There is hope!

I believe YES! There is a God who loves and cares for us.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

(John 3: 16)

We can experience peace and security

It is possible to experience God’s peace even when we are facing difficulties and uncertainties. If we choose to acknowledge Him, accept His Son Jesus Christ who died for us, and receive forgiveness, then we will enter into a personal relationship with Him. This will enable us to live in a place of peace, love and security.

No fear of death

Of course, we hope and pray that the present crisis will end, but whatever happens, the only truly safe place to be, I believe, is in a place of trust and hope in God. We need not be afraid of death because He has promised that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

Be ready!

I believe that we are getting close to the time of Jesus’ return and what we are seeing are signs that this event is near. Let’s make sure that we are ready by turning to Him.

Jesus said, “In me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

(John 16:33)