PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• Today is my mom’s birthday. If you know my mom, I’m about to state the obvious… I have an AH. MAZ. ING. mother. I’m the only child, but a number of my friends claim her as a second mother. And I’m okay with that because I can’t blame them.
The special people in our lives need and deserve recognition. They need to know how much they mean to us—and not just on holidays or their birthdays. One beautiful way to express our appreciation is to borrow from the Blessing of Aaron found in Numbers 6:22-27 ESV. It says:
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’ “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
I wanted a deeper understanding of this blessing so I read from “Numbers: An Introduction and Commentary” by Gordon J. Wenham. He wrote:
“Each line has the Lord as its subject and is followed by two verbs, the second of which expands on the first: bless, keep; shine, be gracious; lift up, give peace. The first clause of each line (invokes) God’s movement towards his people, the second clause, his activity on their behalf.”
So we know these aren’t just pretty words in the Bible. They are purposeful and full of action. It’s a blessing with rich meaning.
Today, I use it as a prayer for my mom and invite you to use it for someone special in your life too.
Today, as you pray, thank God for the ways He works in our lives. Thank Him for blessings. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you show honor to your loved ones whenever you can, recognizing the importance of their role in your life.
