Prayer: A Conversation with God - Week 8 - 2/23/25

A Prayer of Blessing 

Numbers 6:22–27 ESV 

22 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, 24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. 27 “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Psalm 67:1–3 ESV

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! 

The Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6 seems to be placed awkwardly between instructions for a Nazarite vow, which was temporary, and offerings given at the consecration of the Tabernacle. The Israelites were still at the foot of Mt. Sinai and would soon start the God-guided journey to the Promised Land. The journey would start out with difficulties and complaining and ultimately in disobedience that led to them wandering in the wilderness for forty years. This prayer of blessing is tucked into a long set of instructions and is guidance for how the priest should continually bless the Israelites. 

Moses receives instructions from God to speak to Aaron and have them bless the people. Aaron and his sons, the priests, were set apart to be a blessing. The blessing would continually remind the people that all these wonderful blessings originated with God and were distributed by him and him alone. This permanent prayer of blessing stands in contrast to the temporary Nazarite vow. This would continue at the end of gatherings from the temple to the synagogue. 

Set apart to bless

1 Peter 2:9–10 “9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

Colossians 3:12–17 “12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Aaron and his sons were set apart by God to serve the Lord and be a blessing to his people.  We find ourselves with the same calling. In Christ, we are a royal priesthood called to make known the excellence of him who called you out of darkness. In order to be a blessing, you must see yourself differently. He saved me from something, but he more importantly saved me to something.

Ephesians 2:10 “10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

2 Corinthians 9:10–11 “10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”

God has blessed in order that we may be and give a blessing.

It is better to give than receive.
Acts 20:33–35 “33 I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ””

Paul worked in order to be a blessing to those around him in the ministry, and he reaffirmed that he was following the example of Jesus. Later, false apostles would come attempting to enrich themselves. This was the ultimate downfall of the priesthood under Eli.  The priesthood was corrupted when individuals began favoring themselves over the people. Their goal was not to bless others; instead they were ruled by greed and lust.

1 Samuel 2:12–17 “12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.”

1 Samuel 2:22–24 “22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad.”

You cannot be self absorbed and pray a blessing over someone else. You cannot be envious or greedy and pray a blessing over others.  

This is what blessing looks like.
Numbers 6:24 “24 The Lord bless you and keep you;”

Prayer of protection - This now includes our friends and enemies. Lord keep my family. Lord keep those who are against me so they may know you.  Keep them from harm, and evil. Keep them in peace.

Numbers 6:25 “25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;”

May God smile upon you and be gracious to you.

John 8:10–11 “10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.””

Luke 8:47–48 “47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.””

Father smile on them today.

Numbers 6:26 “26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Pay attention to them today. Hear their prayers.

Matthew 8:5–7 “5 When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, 6 “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.””

God is not in the business of ignoring people. Pray that God would life his countenance upon them and give them peace.

John 14:26–27 “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Jesus is our peace. He made it possible to be at peace with God. This is not a constant earthly peace but a peace that transcends our earthly circumstances. 

The older I get, the more I want to be a blessing to those around me. It is worth fighting against my selfish desires to bless others.