Creating A Culture for Spiritual Inheritance
Our words have a great influence in the lives of those around us. Speaking blessings can bring hope, encouragement, and direction to our families, friends, and others. Many can experience deepening relationships and spiritual encouragement as they receive the power of a spoken blessings over them.
A spoken blessing is a positive, Biblical statement that invokes the blessing of God in the life a family member or friend. The power of spoken blessings comes from the heart of God, Who Himself “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ,” Ephesians 1:3. Jesus has asked us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” Matthew 6:10. We have the honor of finding a promise and decreeing it over individuals to invoke a blessing. “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways,” Job 22:28.
Speaking a blessing over your family or friends is to decree with authority God’s promises over a need, a desire or over a circumstance and releasing faith into someone’s future: “God has given His promise, His oath, those two things are unchangeable for it is impossible for God to lie,” Hebrews 6:17-19. Therefore, a spoken blessing from God’s Word can become a tradition and a valuable way to strengthen anyone and create a lasting memory. Blessings lend a certain spirit that nurtures family connection, giving everyone a sense of belonging and helping all to celebrate generations of family. More importantly, traditions create positive memories for children in knowing that God’s Word is powerful and will sustain them and give them hope for the future.
With a desire to make meaningful family connections, God gave me a desire to start a family tradition called, “The Christmas Blessing”. The purpose was to create a culture for spiritual inheritance and to build an atmosphere of expectancy from my family when they asked, “What is the blessing God has for me this Christmas?” The Christmas Blessing is spoken over each family member from the youngest to the oldest. To find the right blessing, I would pray while reading the Word and ask God to give me a promise for each individual. When I found the right promise, it was an “Aha” moment. Each promise was written as a blessing and recorded on Christmas stationery. At the family gathering, while huddling around the tree, “The Christmas Blessing” was shared for all to hear. Those promises become prophetic words that were declared under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I became God’s messenger. The desire for “The Christmas Blessing” was presented with the purpose to build a culture of faith, give hope and encourage each one to trust in God’s Word and to know it was a personal message that came directly from His heart.
It often takes time and effort to search out appropriate blessings. Ask the Lord to make you attentive to His Spirit as you read Scripture, discerning which words, phrases, and concepts He wants you to share with someone. As you learn what God wants to accomplish, the Holy Spirit will instruct you (see John 16:13) affirming God’s will by declaring Biblical promises.
This family tradition reinforces values such as belief in God’s faithfulness, integrity in decisions, personal responsibility, and the value of forgiveness and love. The blessing also provides a forum to showcase role models and to celebrate the things that really matter in one’s life as we continue to watch the blessings unfold from year to year.
My hope is you will find a family tradition and make memories that will last for generations. God is wanting to encourage, give hope and renew vision over every family member. May your family receive the greatest breakthrough of all as you speak these words directly to each person. The Christmas Blessing will create a culture that leaves a spiritual inheritance as family connects in love and unity.
