THE FATHER’S BLESSING

by Frank Hammond

E-ISBN 10: 0-89228-244-4

E-ISBN 13: 978-089228-244-9

Copyright © 2001. Revised 2011.

Impact Christian Books

IMPACT CHRISTIAN BOOKS, INC.

332 Leffingwell Ave., Suite 101

Kirkwood, MO 63122

(314) 822-3309

www.impactchristianbooks.com

All passages are from the NEW KING JAMES BIBLE unless otherwise noted.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Heavenly Father's Example

The Earthly Father's Example

Testimonies

Applying the Father's Blessing to You

Your Personal Father's Blessing

INTRODUCTION

The Body of Christ, in large part, is missing out on something of great significance. Through surveys in multiple conferences, I’ve found very few persons who have ever received a father’s blessing through their earthly fathers. The father’s blessing is rarely experienced in Christian circles, even though this blessing is strongly mandated in Scripture.

The Heavenly Father has set the example and precedent for the father’s blessing. The patriarchs of the Old Testament, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, clearly understood the power of a father’s blessing and practiced it. The benefits of the father’s blessing are far reaching and readily make the difference between success and failure; victory and defeat; happiness and misery in an individual’s life.

Blessing is the opposite of curse. No curse ever happens without a cause, for “Like a flitting sparrow, so a curse without cause shall not alight” (Prov. 26:2). The absence of the blessing makes way for the curse to lay hold. In other words, the cause for curses in a person’s life may be due to the failure of a father to fulfill his responsibility to bless his child.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prov. 18:21). Most are aware of the reality of spoken curses. Supernatural, demonic powers gain entrance through evil, negative words spoken by one person over another. For instance, when a child hears his mother or father speak word curses, such as, “You are a problem child. You are stupid. You never do anything right. I wish you had never been born,” the curse has a right to alight upon that child.

Some well-intentioned but misguided ministers attempt to cancel the power of a curse with another curse or by sending the curse back where it came from. The Old Covenant law required “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matt. 5:38), but the New Covenant way to deal with those who curse you is to bless them. Jesus taught,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…”

Matt. 5:43–44

Did it ever occur to you to bless your enemies? This is God’s way of protecting yourself from curses spoken by others against you. If, on the other hand, you have bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred and anger in your heart against your antagonist, you are making a landing strip for the curse to alight.

Demon-power is the force that makes curses a reality. To have a curse is to have a demon; to have a demon is to be cursed. The power of a blessing is supernatural; it is the presence and work of the Holy Spirit, producing joy, peace, prosperity, fruitfulness; and providing health, success and protection. To be blessed is to be in God’s favor and to have His face shine upon you.

Through a Bible study on the father’s blessing we discover several vital principles to guide us in pronouncing this blessing.

THE HEAVENLY FATHER'S EXAMPLE

1. GOD BLESSES ADAM AND EVE
As soon as Adam and Eve were created,

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Gen. 1:28

Thereupon, Adam and Eve were fruitful, multiplied and had dominion because God spoke a blessing over them. Yes, He spoke a blessing. Blessings must be spoken, for life is in the power of the tongue.

The Father’s blessing is for fruitfulness and dominion. Fruitfulness includes bearing children but much more. A father will do well to affirm the blessing of fruitfulness stated in Psalm 1:3.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.

Isn’t it amazing that by the simple act of faith in speaking blessings over another person, we can activate the power of God? Spoken blessings do not only apply to fathers speaking blessings over their children; for everyone has the power to bless others in the name of the Lord.

2. GOD BLESSES ABRAHAM
God called Abraham and blessed him:

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family and from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great: And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you: And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Gen. 12:1–3

God wants not only to bless us but to make us a blessing to others. “And in you all.. shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).

3. GOD BLESSES ISAAC
God also blessed Abraham’s son, Isaac:

“And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son, Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.”

Gen. 25:11

Beer Lahai Roi means, “the well of the Living One who beholds me.” There is a rich significance in the names of people and places in the Bible. Here, Isaac dwelt at a place of special blessings where there were refreshing waters provided by the One who beholds him with Divine favor.

4. GOD BLESSES HIS SON

At the time of Jesus’ baptism and inauguration into ministry, the Heavenly Father blessed His Son.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Matt. 3:16–17

Once again, we find the Heavenly Father speaking words of approval and blessing. Jesus was blessed with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, equipping Him for the miracle ministry and sacrificial death that lay ahead. Jesus had not yet performed a miracle nor delivered a sermon. He was blessed for who He was as a Son rather than for what He had done.

Here, too, is an example for us to follow. Let the earthly father also lay hands on his children, imparting the baptism in the Holy Spirit and blessing them with words of approval.

THE EARTHLY FATHER'S EXAMPLE

ISAAC BLESSES HIS SONS

Isaac took Rebekah as his wife, but she was barren. Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, and the Lord granted his petition, and Rebekah conceived and became pregnant with twins. As the two sons struggled in her womb, Rebekah sought the Lord as to the reason for her discomfort, and God replied,

“Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger.”

Gen. 25:23

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come” (Heb. 11:20). The blessings were prophetic. This is another characteristic of the father’s blessing; it is prophetic; it speaks forth the Heavenly Father’s sovereign purposes. God’s sovereign purpose in election is seen in His decree that “the older shall serve the younger.” We read in Romans,

…(for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her (Rebekah), “The older shall serve the younger,” As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

Rom. 9:11–13

When Isaac realized that he was near death, he knew it was time to bestow the father’s blessing upon his sons. It was the custom to bestow a favored blessing upon the firstborn. Esau was the firstborn. But to bestow the favored blessing upon Esau would have been contrary to God’s revealed purpose. Obviously, Rebekah had not forgotten the words spoken to her by the Lord before the twins were born. For God had said, “The older will serve the younger.” Therefore, Rebekah devised a plan whereby Isaac would be deceived and Jacob would receive the blessing of the firstborn.

Blind Isaac, mistaking Jacob for Esau, laid hands on Jacob and spoke a prophetic blessing:

Therefore may God give you

Of the dew of heaven,

Of the fatness of the earth,

And plenty of grain and wine.

Let peoples serve you,

And nations bow down to you.

Be master over your brethren.

And let your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you,

And blessed be those who bless you!

Gen. 27:28–29

Again, we find the important principle of the father’s blessing being prophetic. The blessing expresses the very mind and purpose of God.

The father’s blessing is extremely important. It opens Heaven’s window to Divine favor in one’s life. When Isaac discovered that he had been deceived, not having blessed the first-born son as he had thought, he “trembled exceedingly” (Gen. 27:33). When Esau realized his brother had robbed him of the coveted blessing, he was furious and “cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry” (Gen. 27:34). He begged his father for a blessing for himself. Esau’s desperate plea for his father’s blessing reveals just how important the father’s blessing is. His entire future welfare rested on this blessing. So, he said to his father,

“Have you not reserved a blessing for me?... Have you only one blessing, my father?”

Gen. 27:36,38

Whereupon Isaac spoke the following blessing on Esau:

“Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Gen. 27:39–40

The writer of Hebrews gives us a pertinent insight into Isaac’s blessing. It was spoken in faith! Indeed, it was a prophetic blessing spoken in faith and received by faith. There may be no existing evidence that the spoken blessing has any substance in fact. A prophetic blessing even extends past the death of both the blesser and the blessed. Isaac’s faith looked beyond death; his confident faith saw that God’s purposes were not frustrated by death. He spoke with divinely imparted assurance of what would happen in the future. A blessing given according with God’s leading cannot fail.

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

Heb. 11:20–21

Here is another principle that applies to the father’s blessing — it is given in an act of worship. As Jacob blessed his sons he “worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (v. 21). Yes, the father’s blessing is to be given in an attitude of worship. The earthly father is speaking on behalf of the Heavenly Father!

JACOB BLESSES HIS GRANDSONS

Not only should a father bless his children, but he should also bless his grandchildren. Upon request, Jacob blessed his grandchildren, Ephraim and Manasseh and he said to Jospeh, “Please bring them to me, and I will bless them” (Gen. 48:9).

The ideal is for the children’s father to request this blessing of the grandfather as Joseph did. When the ideal is not feasible, the grandfather should take the initiative to bless his grandchildren.

Joseph attempted to have the major blessing given to Manasseh, the firstborn, but Jacob crossed his hands to pick out Ephraim for the greater blessing. This demonstrates that God cannot be manipulated. He fulfills His purposes as He pleases and is not bound by human opinion or tradition. His blessing upon the two boys was prophetic, reflecting God’s purpose for their lives.

“God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has fed me all my life long to this day, The Angel who has redeemed me from all evil, Bless the lads; Let my name be named upon them, And the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; And let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

Gen 48:15–16

JACOB BLESSES HIS TWELVE SONS

And Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather together, that I may tell you what shall befall you in the last days.”

Gen. 49:1

Thereupon, Jacob pronounced a prophetic blessing over each of his twelve sons, confirming what we have noted already: that the father’s blessing is a personal, spoken prophecy foretelling future dealings of God in an individual’s life. This blessing is not a generic, one-size fits-all message, but a personal prophecy as the Bible plainly states:

“And he (Jacob) blessed them; he blessed each one according to his own blessing.”

Gen. 49:28

DAVID BLESSES HIS HOUSEHOLD

It was a very special day in the life of King David. The Ark of the Covenant, which had been absent from Jerusalem for several years, was restored and placed in the Tabernacle of David. There was great celebration as thirty thousand choice men of Israel escorted the Ark amid singing, shouting, the playing of instruments, and David danced before the Lord with all his might. After sacrifices had been offered, David composed a special psalm and designated praisers to worship and praise God day and night before the Ark of God’s presence. Then…

…he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts [and] returned home to bless his household.

2 Sam. 6:18,20

Amazing! After one of the most important and physically demanding days in David’s life, he was thinking about his family members and was anxious to get home to bless them. Public worship did not replace the need for family ministry. Sadly, David’s wife, Michal, was critical of her husband’s behavior, and by rejecting her blessing she received a curse.

Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

2 Sam. 6:23

Another key insight into the father’s blessing emerges in this text. Blessing is not limited to children, but should include all those of a man’s household. The father’s blessings upon his wife, children, and extended family are to be continual, a daily expression of love’s covering. “Bless” in both Hebrew and Greek words means “to declare happy.” Happy indeed is the family whose husband and father makes it his practice to speak a daily blessing over each one!

JESUS BLESSES CHILDREN

The disciples evidently thought that little children were unimportant to Jesus, and were preventing parents from bringing them to Him, but Jesus said,

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them…”

Luke 18:16

“Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray…”

Matt. 19:13

The laying on of hands represents impartation. Jesus imparted blessings on little children. We will do well to follow Jesus’ example.

PRIESTLY BLESSING

When the Levitical priesthood was established, the priests were instructed by God to bless the children of Israel. Thus, one of the duties of a priest is to bless the people. Under the New Covenant, believers become “a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9). So, every believer is to be a blesser of others. Here is the prescribed blessing God gave the priests:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.

Num. 6:24–26

TWO TYPES OF BLESSING

The above priestly blessing is not given as a personal prophecy. It is a blessing of goodwill that imparts God’s favor, protection and peace to all God’s children. It especially expresses God’s desire for intimate relationship with His people. Thus, we discern that there are two kinds of blessings — the personal-prophetic and the general-prophetic. A father’s blessing can be either a personal prophecy or a positive confession and prayer for God’s favor. Even the specific elements within the general blessing can be Holy Spirit-inspired and in accord with God’s revealed purposes.

My personal preference is to lay hands on each individual and impart a personal, prophetic blessing. This is not always possible especially in conferences where hundreds or thousands in attendance are wanting a father’s blessing. Before I impart a blessing I always pray and ask the Holy Spirit for specific blessings which He reveals are important for that group at that time. People who have never been blessed by their earthly fathers are especially touched to hear that God and their spiritual father loves them, that they are special and have a purpose in being born and brought into God’s Kingdom.

From the examples found in Scripture, fathers’ blessings included both temporal and spiritual blessings. For instance, God blessed Abraham with land and many descendants, but also through him all the families of the earth would be blessed. The prophetic blessing revealed that Abraham would have spiritual children, i.e. through Christ gentiles would receive salvation. If the father’s blessing contains only temporal benefits and is without spiritual content, it will be of little consequence.

TESTIMONIES

It was indeed enlightening to discover that as a believer I am a royal priest and a spiritual father. When I came to this knowledge I began to impart a father’s blessing to those who said they had never had an earthly father bless them. I was not prepared for the powerful impact such a blessing makes, even when given corporately to hundreds of people simultaneously. Here are two of the many testimonies received after individuals received the father’s blessing at a world congress on deliverance:

At the end of the conference when you spoke blessings upon us, my heart was pierced. You said, “My children, I speak to you as a spiritual father blessing you...” You went on to say several words of encouragement and blessing to us, and then you ended by saying, “My children, I love you.” God used your words and tender heart to heal me tremendously. I never knew an earthly father, and once I accepted Jesus as my Savior and God as my Father, I was healed from the brokenness of spending life without a father. When you spoke those words it touched me so deeply. I’d never had a father, or mother, to say those things to me. I did not realize that it was still an area that I needed healing in, but praise God, He knew and He did it through your kind words. – M. B.

The highlight of the entire conference for me was when you spoke a blessing over us as if we were your own children. I don’t remember all the words you spoke, but the love behind the words was evident, and tears started running down my face. I cried the whole time you blessed us, and then I kept crying through everyone else’s blessings, too. Your words from God touched my heart. I felt like I was receiving a grandfather’s blessing that I didn’t even know I needed. I just wanted you to know how God has used you as a blessing in my life. – L. S.

APPLYING THE FATHER'S BLESSING TO YOU

One of the most meaningful things that a father can give his children is “a father’s blessing.” It is clearly a stabilizing factor in a child’s life. Without this blessing there will always be a sense of something missing; a void is created that nothing else can fill. Without the father’s blessing there remains a curse. Therefore, I encourage every father to lay hands on his children (and other family members) and bless them often. Discover the good things God will do for both you and them.

Are you without a father to bless you? Perhaps your father is not a Christian, is deceased or has dropped out of your life. Or, he may not take the initiative to bless you. Do you yearn for a father’s blessing that you’ve never had? Do not despair. It is not too late! Although I may never have the opportunity to lay my hands on your head and bless you in person, allow me to be a spiritual father to bless you. You will surely be blessed as you receive the following father’s blessing that I prayerfully offer for you.

YOUR PERSONAL

FATHER'S BLESSING

My child, I love you! You are special. You are a gift from God. I thank God for allowing me to be a father to you. I bless you with the healing of all wounds of rejection, neglect and abuse that you have suffered. I bless you with overflowing peace, the peace that only the Prince of Peace can give, a peace beyond comprehension. I bless your life with fruitfulness — good fruit, abundant fruit and fruit that remains. I bless you with success. You are the head and not the tail; you are above and not beneath. I bless you with health and strength of body, soul and spirit. I bless you with overflowing prosperity, enabling you to be a blessing to others. I bless you with spiritual influence, for you are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. You are like a tree planted by rivers of water. You will prosper in all your ways. I bless you with a depth of spiritual understanding and a close walk with your Lord. You will not stumble or falter, for the Word of God will be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. I bless you with pure and edifying relationships in life. You have favor with God and man. I bless you with abounding love. You will minister God’s comforting grace to others. You are blessed, my child! You are blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

Amen!

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Heavenly Father's Example

The Earthly Father's Example

Testimonies

Applying the Father's Blessing to You

Your Personal Father's Blessing