Pass on Spiritual Blessings
In the Bible, we often see people bringing each other close to change their lives. In Matthew 19, parents brought their children to Jesus to have Him place His hands on them, pray for them, and transfer blessings to them. "Let the children come to Me," He said. Parents, such as the patriarch Isaac in Genesis 27, bless their children often through the act of physically placing their hands on them. Isaac said to Jacob, "Come close to me," and he hugged and kissed his son before he transferred the blessing. He not only spoke the blessing, but he physically transferred it by touch.
From the time our children were very little, Joel and I would hold their little hands, put our hands on their head, and pray for them. They experienced this transfer of blessings so many times as children, and even now as adults we still put our hands on them and pray for them when we're with them. We need our children to understand that as parents we have spiritual authority from God to impart and release blessings in their life.
Do you know what a touch means? It's a personal acceptance. If I reach out and touch you, it's saying there's no barrier between you and me. Never underestimate the power when you lovingly touch and embrace your children. You may say, "Well, my children already know I love them." That's good, but what would happen if you gave them a hug and said, "I bless you"? There's a transferable spiritual blessing in that hug.
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 provides a vivid picture of this principle. That son had taken his inheritance, wasted it all on a party lifestyle, and ended up feeding pigs and eating hog feed. He decided it was better to return home and offer himself as a hired servant to his father. He didn't know that his father looked out for him to come home every day. When the father saw his son coming from afar, he ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him. That embrace and kiss and blessing from his father disarmed the shame and insecurities that young man had. His father was saying, "I forgive you, and there is no distance between us. The barrier has been broken. You are my son, and I bless you!" I bet that young man was never the same. I bet he never felt the same way about himself. He had his father's blessing. He was loved well.
How long has it been since you've hugged and blessed your kids? It will touch them for eternity.
From the time our children were very little, Joel and I would hold their little hands, put our hands on their head, and pray for them. They experienced this transfer of blessings so many times as children, and even now as adults we still put our hands on them and pray for them when we're with them. We need our children to understand that as parents we have spiritual authority from God to impart and release blessings in their life.
Do you know what a touch means? It's a personal acceptance. If I reach out and touch you, it's saying there's no barrier between you and me. Never underestimate the power when you lovingly touch and embrace your children. You may say, "Well, my children already know I love them." That's good, but what would happen if you gave them a hug and said, "I bless you"? There's a transferable spiritual blessing in that hug.
The parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 provides a vivid picture of this principle. That son had taken his inheritance, wasted it all on a party lifestyle, and ended up feeding pigs and eating hog feed. He decided it was better to return home and offer himself as a hired servant to his father. He didn't know that his father looked out for him to come home every day. When the father saw his son coming from afar, he ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him. That embrace and kiss and blessing from his father disarmed the shame and insecurities that young man had. His father was saying, "I forgive you, and there is no distance between us. The barrier has been broken. You are my son, and I bless you!" I bet that young man was never the same. I bet he never felt the same way about himself. He had his father's blessing. He was loved well.
How long has it been since you've hugged and blessed your kids? It will touch them for eternity.