10 Blessings to Speak Over Your Child (Straight from Scripture)
Blessing your children out loud is one of the oldest habits in the Bible. Isaac blessed Jacob. Jacob blessed Joseph's sons. Aaron's priests were given words to speak over the whole nation. And when parents carried their little ones to Jesus, He did more than pat them on the head:
And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
— Mark 10:16 (KJV)
A blessing isn't a magic formula. It's a prayer said to your child, in their hearing, asking God for His good for them. Children remember what they hear their parents say over them, often for the rest of their lives.
Below are ten blessings, each built on a verse. Say them as written, or put them in your own words. A hand on the shoulder or forehead while you speak is a good old tradition.
1. The priestly blessing
This is the blessing God Himself gave Aaron to speak over Israel, and it's still the best place to start.
The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
— Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
Say: "The Lord bless you and keep you. May He smile on you and be kind to you. May He look after you and give you peace."
2. A blessing of growing up well
Luke sums up Jesus' childhood in a single sentence. It covers mind, body, faith and friendships.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
— Luke 2:52 (KJV)
Say: "May you grow wise and strong. May God delight in you, and may you be loved by the people around you."
3. A blessing of peace
And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
— Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)
Say: "May God Himself teach you, and may your heart be full of His peace."
4. A blessing of protection
For the first day of school, a trip away or a night when they're frightened.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
— Psalm 91:11 (KJV)
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
— Psalm 121:8 (KJV)
Say: "May God watch over you when you go out and when you come home, today and every day."
5. A blessing of courage
Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
— Joshua 1:9 (KJV)
Say: "Be brave. You don't have to be afraid, because God goes with you everywhere you go."
6. A blessing of a calm mind
Many children carry more worry than they let on. This verse names three things God gives in its place.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
Say: "God didn't make you to be afraid. May He fill you with strength, love and a clear, calm mind."
7. A blessing of good character
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
— Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)
Say: "May God's Spirit grow in you love, joy and peace, patience and kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."
8. A blessing of knowing God's love
Paul prayed this for a whole church. It's just as good for one child.
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
— Ephesians 3:17-19 (KJV)
Say: "May Jesus live in your heart. May you be rooted in His love, and may you know how wide and long and high and deep it is."
9. A blessing of wise choices
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
— Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Say: "May you trust God with all your heart. When you don't know which way to go, may He show you the path."
10. A blessing of finishing well
This one is as much for you as for them. Whatever God has started in your child, He doesn't leave half done.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
— Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
Say: "God has begun something good in you, and He will finish it."
When to bless your children
There's no wrong time, but a few moments lend themselves to it:
- Bedtime. The last words of the day stay with a child. Thirty seconds is enough.
- Birthdays and first days. A new school, a new year, a first job.
- Before they leave the house. Jacob blessed his sons before they went their separate ways (Genesis 49). A quick blessing at the door does the same.
- After a hard day. A blessing tells a child that what they did today doesn't change how God sees them.
Why it matters
Psalm 127:3 calls children "an heritage of the LORD". They're on loan, not owned. Blessing them is a way of handing them back to God every day and asking Him to do what we can't.
The apostle John put a parent's deepest hope in one line:
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
— 3 John 1:4 (KJV)
If you're expecting a baby, you may also find comfort in our Bible verses for a safe delivery and Bible verses for pregnancy complications.