Do your worry about the influences on your grandchildren when they head back to school? This post will show you how to pray a blessing over them to put God’s covering in their hearts and on their steps.
It’s a scary world out there for our little people. As they grow up fast, we wonder how they can find their way through school, and friendships, and activities and emerge with a vibrant faith in Jesus Christ.
That’s why God has put you on their team. No matter how old or young they are, or how much you see them, or not, you are their grandparent. And you have the position to pray blessing over them.
How to Bless your Grandkids When They Head Back to School
Bless your Family like they did in the Old Testament
God gave the first blessing in Genesis 1:28 after he created Adam and Eve, “God blessed them and said to them…”
The Old Testament Patriarchs understood the power of a blessing. Abraham blessed Isaac. Isaac blessed Jacob. Jacob blessed his twelve sons and two of his grandsons.
You can follow their example as you bless your family.
The 5 Parts of a Blessing
John Trent and Gary Smalley wrote the master-class on giving a blessing in their book, The Blessing. They tell us there are five elements to a meaningful blessing:
1. Meaningful and Appropriate Touch
The blessings in the Old Testament are always accompanied by touch: a hug, a kiss, a laying on of hands. When Jewish parents bless their children on Shabbat, they may put their hand on the child’s head, cup their hands around his face, or hold a young child.
2. A Spoken Message
We have to say actual words of blessing. We may think we already said it, or we’ll say it later. We may not be good at it because our parents didn’t say words of blessing to us. But hearing the words matters to our children and grandchildren.
Without hearing words of blessing, children experience the silence as a lack of value and acceptance.
3. Attaching High Value
The high value that you speak over your grandchild comes from what you see in her character or what you envision in her future. You may have a word picture to speak, like when Isaac blessed Jacob saying he was like the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed (Genesis 27:27). And yes, that was a good thing.
High value shouldn’t be based on their achievements because they will wonder if they have value when the achievement goes away. Their high value comes from who they are.
4. Picturing a Special Future
5. An Active Commitment
Our blessing doesn’t stop with the words we say over our grandkids. The blessing becomes real as we help them grow up into it.
We continue to call out the best in them, speak words of courage and hope, show them how to navigate their challenges, and live for Jesus.
Pray Scripture when your Bless your Grandchild
May the Lord bless you and protect you;
may the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
may the Lord look with favor on you
and give you peace.
I like to pray Philippians 1:9-11:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Pray a Blessing when you aren’t Near
This is a prayer of blessing. Instead of speaking blessing to your grandchild, you are asking God to bless him. It’s speaking blessing over him in God’s presence.
Heavenly Father, today I bless my grandchild with the assurance of your love and mine. I bless __________________ with the ability to hear your voice and make wise decisions in all the affairs of live. May he (or she) find favor with both you and others. I bless my grandchild with the self-discipline to weigh words before speaking. May everything that comes out of his (or her) mouth be filled with life, grace, truth, love, and wisdom. May my grandchild be blessed and a blessing every place he (or she) goes throughout life. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.
To recap, the 5 parts of giving your grandkids a blessing when they head back to school:
- Meaningful and appropriate touch
- A spoken message
- Attaching high value
- Picturing a special future
- An active commitment
What’s Next?
Think about these things:
- What character trait or behavior do I want to affirm in my grandchild?
- What special future do I see for them?
- Are there Bible verses I want to pray over them?
Pray with me:
Lord Jesus, help me learn to give blessings to my children and grandchildren. Help me to do it often. Help me to say exactly what they need to hear. Help me to be a blessing as I become a person of blessing.
God bless you as you bless your grandchildren!
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