Bless Your Children - Crosswalk Couples Devotional - June 3

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Bless Your Children
By Michelle Lazurek

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, children are born in one’s youth. Psalm 127:3-4

Our kids made many sacrifices. They couldn't always do what their friends were doing because they had to be at church, or their father had an activity he had to attend throughout the week. For this reason, our kids were limited in the sports and extracurricular activities they could participate in at school. Church had to come first, and the kids understood that. However, through this, they also could not do what everyone else was doing.

At sixteen, we wanted to do something special for our kids. My husband came up with the idea of doing a blessing ceremony. We invited all the elders and the leaders to the church on a Saturday. We played a highlight reel of videos and pictures of them growing up. Their father and I shared words of encouragement and highlighted their strengths. 

We also had a word to give them direction and hope for their future. We also declared that they would no longer be forced to go to church as of that day. They would be able to choose whether to attend church. Because they were driving, they could decide to go wherever they wanted on a Sunday morning. I would no longer wake them up or remind them when we were leaving. If they were there on time, they had to go. If they didn't, they couldn't go.

At the end, all the leadership lined themselves up down the middle aisle. Both of our children stood at the end as they took a step. The people on each end of the aisle placed their hands on them and prayed a blessing over their lives. We, as their parents, waited for them at the end. We had purchased a unique cross for each of them to wear, which we put around their necks. Then we played the final blessing. Afterward, we celebrated with cake and pizza in the gymnasium. 

We only realized what a blessing that would be to them and us later. Our kids thanked us for doing that ceremony, as it helped them feel they weren't going to church or going through the motions of the faith simply because they were pastors’ kids. They thought we gave them a choice to pursue God or not. They were not doing it merely because Dad was the pastor, or everyone was watching what they were doing. Instead, they chose because they wanted to know God better. 

To date, our kids are attending Christian universities to better know God. Our son is entering finance to start his own business, and our daughter feels called to pursue ministry. 

Blessings are an essential part of scripture. The Old Testament is full of examples of fathers blessing their children. Each family's firstborn was given a special blessing that would ensure their success as they married, had children, and went forth in their lives. 

Although society no longer performs blessings, we both felt it was important to bless our children with the same intentions. We hoped that by blessing them, they would marry, have children, and pursue God intimately together as a family. Both our children have chosen to follow that path. 

Bless your children. Lay your hands on them and fan the flame of faith into them. Speak words of encouragement over them. Pray and break any generational sins or curses off them. Identify their gifts and strengths and encourage them to serve within their local church. Your children live what they learn. If they feel their mothers and fathers are there for them and encouraging them to move forward in the faith, it increases the chances that they will want to do the same. 

Father, let us be parents who bless our children. Let us take the example from the Old Testament and give each of our children a special blessing so they can move forward with hope and encouragement and carry that blessing on to their families as they grow in the faith. Amen. 

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/anatoliy_gleb

Michelle S. Lazurek is a multi-genre award-winning author, speaker, pastor's wife, and mother. She is a literary agent for Wordwise Media Services and host of The Spritual Reset Podcast. Her new children’s book Hall of Faith encourages kids to understand God can be trusted. When not working, she enjoys sipping a Starbucks latte, collecting 80s memorabilia, and spending time with her family and her crazy dog. For more info, please visit her website www.michellelazurek.com.

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