‘May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness—an abundance.’ Genesis 27:28 NIV
Let’s look at the next two ingredients of a father’s blessing:
(1) The power of prayer. Here’s how Isaac, who was a farmer, prayed for his sons: ‘May God give you of heaven’s dew and of earth’s richness—an abundance of grain and new wine.’ Dad, have your children ever heard you praying for them to succeed in life? Perhaps they’ve heard cutting and critical words like: ‘How could you be so stupid? Don’t you ever think? You’ll never amount to anything!’ If so, apologise and ask their forgiveness. Then create opportunities for them to hear you talk to God about them by name; to hear you speak blessing over them. What a powerful thing is a father’s prayer of blessing over his family!
(2) The vision of a glorious future. The Bible says, ‘Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint.’ (Proverbs 29:18 ESV) School counsellors grieve over the lack of vision in their students. Many of today’s kids see nothing ahead for them but economic gloom, unemployment and hard times. They need somebody to believe in them; to assure them they can succeed and live happy lives; to know their best days are ahead. Isaac didn’t wait for his boys to devise their own vision for the future. No, he prayed for their future success, for their rise to prominence, and for respect with their family and society. Dad, your kids need you to motivate them in the right direction.
SoulFood: Phil 2:5–11, Rev 19:11–16, Acts 3:1–16, Mt 1:18–21
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright 2024
