Blessings!
So often we allow life to get the better of us and of our spouse and children. The bible tells us about our war against principalities and powers of darkness and the rulers of this world. But it also talks about putting on the whole armor of God so that we can go out into this world, and not be overcome by it. So, why do we let our husband, wife, and children leave our home without worship and without breathing a blessing upon them from God for their day that they may have victory?
Life doesn't have to just happen to you. You can purposely direct your life in what you want it to do. Now, I'm not saying that everything you plan and purpose will happen exactly as you want it. However, many things that happen to us happens because we failed to plan... When you fail to plan, you plan to fail because there is no purposeful direction in your life.
If you are grounded in Christ, you know where you come from and you know where you are going to. You also know that your journey is in Christ. So, that takes care of a lot of choices that needs to be made in life. However, we still must make decisions about things and be guided in doing so. There are so many promises and blessings in the bible for us to claim to help us to conquer those things in life that would easily beset us... yet, we fail to claim them and we go on in this drudgery called life expecting something to happen without making a change. We watch our husbands go to work and return from work in a drudgery. We watch our wives go to work and return from work in a drudgery. We watch our children go to school/work and return from school/work in a drudgery. Life is kicking their butts! And it shouldn't be if you are a child of God!
My husband was my prayer partner for 3 years before we were married. We had worship almost every morning and every evening together by phone and face-to-face, when possible, for 3 years using whatsapp, skype, whatever technology we could use to accomplish the goal of worship. He became my best friend before we got married. I've been married for only 1 year and 10 months. I love my husband so very much and I thank God for him every morning that I get to wake up beside him. I couldn't imagine something happening to him. But, life happens and the devil is out there seeking whom he may devour. Our marriage is great, but life can be hard sometimes. Boss at work getting on you, bills piling up, ya got fired!, children need new shoes, mortgage is due, more month left at the end of your money!, your children are getting influenced by the wrong crowd, etc...
I decided to put an end to the drudgery that I sometimes saw was happening in my husband after 6 months of marriage. It wasn't drudgery with us, we were doing great... it was drudgery from being out in the world and dealing with life situations. He was happy to be home, but I would still see some of its effects when he came home. It was wearing on him. So, I began claiming scriptures for him... then I decided... no, I'm not just going to claim scriptures, I'm going to place a blessing on my husband every single morning before he goes out into this world. We do worship together most mornings even now, so we are putting on our armor of God's word, prayer, time with God, etc... But, the moment when he is walking out of that door, I place a blessing upon him. I may say, "May God grant you peace and prosperity today", or "May God set a bulwark of protection around you that nothing can harm you", or "May God guide your steps and use you mightily today", or "May God bless every work of your hands and may all be blessed through you today". I've been doing it for over a year now and it never grows tiresome to speak a blessing over my husband that it may be so. I love doing that for him... and for us! You see, we are married, so I also reap the benefits... therefore, I am also speaking a blessing over me as well. But, I don't do it for that reason. I do it because I love him so very much and want God to just bless him abundantly above all my husband could ever imagine. I want every blessing to fall upon my husband, whether I reap the benefits of it or not.
Now, when my husband comes home... yes, sometimes he's tired because he's been working all day. At the dinner table, we share our day with one another. He will share with me stories of how God has used him that day to work with or help someone... how God saved his life today... how God blessed us financially and met our needs today. I don't see the drudgery effects on him that I use to see. He is happy to be home and excited to see me and, most of the time, I make sure that when I come home from work, I don't look like life trampled upon me, but I am also speaking blessings over my life, my day, my work. I don't greet him looking like I have home-girl syndrome. I make it a habit of looking good for him to come home to. That's another thing, sometimes just seeing you looking good for him helps him feel better to know that he is taking good care of you... that he is your hero... even in the small things.
While I was doing my private study today, I came across some scriptures that are excellent blessings to bless over your spouse, out-loud, as they are leaving the home each morning. This is an encouragement to your husband or wife... or child. There are so many promises and blessings in the bible that you can utilize for yourself in your everyday. You might need to change the work donkey to a car, or the barn/storehouse to a food pantry or bank account... but the blessing will fit just fine. Below are just a few of them mostly taken from Deuteronomy.
Blessings
for those you love
1.
Deut. 28:3A – Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall
you be in the field...
2.
Deut. 28:3B - Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit
of your ground and the fruit of your cattle.
3.
Deut. 28:3C - Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
4.
Deut. 28:3D - Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed
shall you be when you go out.
5.
Deut. 28:7 – May the Lord cause your enemies who rise against you
to be defeated before you.
6.
Deut. 28:8 – The Lord will command blessings on you in your barns
and in all you undertake.
7.
Deut. 28:8B – The Lord will bless you in the land that the Lord
Your God is giving you.
8.
Deut. 28:9 – May the Lord establish you as a people holy to
himself, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk
in His ways.
9.
Deut. 28:11 – The Lord will make you abound in prosperity.
10.
Deut. 28:12 – May the Lord open to you His good treasury, the
heavens, to give the rain to your land in its seasons
11.
Deut. 28:12B – May the Lord bless all the work of your hands and
may you lend to many, but not borrow.
12.
Deut. 28:13 – May the Lord make you the head and not the
tail...
13.
Deut. 28:13B - May the Lord cause you to go up and not down, as you obey the
commandments of the Lord your God... being careful to do them.
14.
Jer. 3:15 – God will give you shepherds after His own heart,
who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Try some of these blessings on your family and see what difference it makes when they know that you are fighting for them positively by encouraging them. It really helps them to go the extra mile. Also, those blessings are promises from God, so they will not go out without returning fulfilled.
May the God of peace be with each of you and your families to guide & strengthen your relationship with one another & with Him so that satan won't have dominion & cause division in your home.