A Fathers Blessing

I am writing this blog for one primary reason; for my kids.  So that they can look back and connect with their childhood, and see our relationship from my eyes.  And because of this, I want to record everything I do with them. This post documents is a new chapter in what I am doing.  James and Bella, I love you!

A good friend of mine taught me a wonderful tool a while back that I am now implementing into my daily routine with my kids.  Its called The Fathers Blessing.
The fathers blessing is a Hebrew tradition in which the on friday nights the father in the household go to each of his children individually, and prays a blessing over them.
There is so much power in this, there is power in spoken words.  God SPOKE everything into existence, we spread the good news through SPEAKING, and there are so many more examples throughout Scripture that support verbal as powerful through God.  I can either build up my kids, or crush them to the dust by my words.  This fathers blessing was used as a way of affirming and blessing the children in the household, the spiritual leader was praying blessings and praise over his children.   Their self esteem as to who they are in Christ is going to pivot greatly on the relationship they have with their earthly father.  If they have a bad experience with me, never received affirmation, or was ridiculed or was seldom told that I was proud of them, etc, then the word father would mean very little to them.  So when they begin to grasp the reality of God being our heavenly father, this wouldn't be a very appealing concept.  They can't connect easily the joy and awesome identity that comes with knowing the creator of the universe highly favors me and loves me!  Another GIANT aspect of this is that they see me daily PRAYING out loud, talking to God, as MY father.  So they might see and become accustomed to the act and necessity of prayer.
Now no matter my past growing up, I can't allow that to dictate what God has called me to be.  So James and Bella, when you start to understand God as our father, you need to be excited about this!  You need to know from me, that a father loves you, holds you in the highest regard, is proud of you, and nothing you can ever do will make me love you any more or less!
So for a little while now, I have been doing this with my kids at night.  The traditional way to do this is over the dinner table.  But I do it at night, and I do it every night instead of just Friday.  I go to them individually, tuck them in, hold my hand on their head (an important part of the Jewish tradition is the physical touch while blessing) and pray for them out loud.
Here is an example of a Fathers blessing prayer, obviously I don't say this exactly, but I cover the main points. 

“Father, I receive, welcome, and acknowledge each of my children as a delightful blessing from You. I speak Your blessings upon them and over them.
“Children, I bless you in the name of Jesus, proclaiming the blessings of God, my Redeemer, upon you. May He give you wisdom, a reverential fear of God, and a heart of love.
“May He create in you the desire to attend to His words, a willing and obedient heart that you may consent and submit to His sayings and walk in His ways. May your eyes look straight ahead with purpose for the future. May your tongue be as the pen of a ready writer, writing mercy and kindness upon the tablets of your heart. May you speak the truth in love. May your hands do the works of the Father; may your feet walk the paths that He has foreordained for you.
“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are living their lives in truth.
“May the Lord prepare you and your future mate to love and honor one another, and may He grant to your union upright sons and daughters who will live in accordance with His Word. May your source of livelihood be honorable and secure, so that you will earn a living with your own hands. May you always worship God in spirit and in truth.
“I pray above all things that you may always prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
“In the name of Jesus, my Lord and my God, Amen.”