What are Bible benedictions? If you’re the twelve year old son of the pastor, it’s the last thing you have to sit through before getting out of the church service! My younger self didn’t appreciate those words of blessing. There’s humor in a child’s view of things. But it’s a tragedy when that view hasn’t changed in 40 years! There are powerful reasons and benefits to elevate one’s view of Scripture’s benedictions. And that goes for all of us, not just pastors looking for the best conclusion for a worship service (I’ll explain!).
Studies Of Blessings
The Latin term benedictio, and its root words, means to speak a blessing. Can my words give a literal blessing to someone else? My words can comfort or encourage and many things in between. But do they carry the power to bless? In the strictest sense, I’d say, No. So how do we speak a blessing to another? The example is preserved for us in Numbers 6:22-27. This is the first of many Scriptural benedictions and we know it as the Aaronic Blessing. However, Aaron was not the author of the benediction or the power inherent in it. It was given by God to Moses and Aaron. And God instructed Aaron to pray over the people with these words:
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift His countenance toward you and give you peace.
The priests were to speak God’s words over the people, not their own words. His Word carries inherent power. And we see that in the next verse (Numbers 6:27):
So they will put My name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.
The essential nature of the Bible’s benedictions is to ask God’s blessing through prayer. We ask the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) to bestow His blessings on those we love and lead. He knows what we need before we ask. Therefore, the Bible contains numerous benedictions, or blessings, given by God and His messengers to His people. They are concise, profound statements of affirmation and blessing.
And whether we see them in the Old Testament or the New Testament, they convey God’s loving intentions and desires for His people. We can see them as the conclusion to an epistle or woven into messages of encouragement and hope. In all cases, they remind us of our Father’s unwavering presence and faithfulness in our lives. Benedictions draw us close to His heart. And that should fuel the love required by the Greatest Commandment.
Powerful Benedictions For Every Day
Our longest months have 31 days. And it isn’t hard to cite a Biblical benediction for each day. One of my favorites is found in Colossians. So let’s begin there:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God...
to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. Colossians 1:9-12
I have prayed this prayer publicly and privately for the congregation I have been called to lead. But I have also encouraged this prayer in every home. Look at the request. I want God to answer this prayer for my wife, for my children, my grandchildren and my friends. And that’s why Biblical benedictions aren’t just for Sunday worship services! Wouldn’t you want this prayer prayed for you? 
Just for clarity, it doesn’t take much thought to turn a prayer of the Apostle Paul into your prayer. When I use this benediction publicly, it sounds something like this:
Father, I ask You to fill all of us with the knowledge of Your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live a life worthy of You and please You in every way: let us bear fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of You, and let us be strengthened with all power according to Your glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and give joyful thanks to You, the One Who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of Your holy people in the kingdom of light. We ask the blessing in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalms Of Blessing – Day 2
These verses from the Psalms are easily adapted into a first-person prayer. And both selections bring other points to mind. Psalm 29:11 shows us the blessings of strength and peace:
The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.
Our Father has promised us that His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. And He has blessed His people with the Prince of Peace. Psalm 121:7-8 speaks of God’s protection and guidance. Notice:
The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
Nothing comes into our lives without passing through the Father’s hands. He is intimately involved with every aspect of our lives – all our coming and going. And that is just another reason every ministry should focus its prayers!
Blessing Of Grace – Day 3
Acts 20:32 – Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Blessing Of Eternal Love – Day 4
Contribution Link – Mission Needs
If Scripture can be compared to a mountain range, Romans 8 is Mt. Everest. It opens with no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Then it shows us our Father is for us and working for our good in all the things that touch our lives. And Romans 8:37-38 brings it to a glorious crescendo. Paul’s words of praise can be a prayer of blessing:
Father, we ask You to fix in our minds the fact that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from Your love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We ask the blessing in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Blessing Of Unity – Day 5
Romans 15:5-6 – May the God of endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessing Of Hope – Day 6
Romans 15:13 is another of my favorite benedictions:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessing Of Peace – Day 7
Romans 15:33 – The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
This benediction reminds us that our Father is the God of peace. And those who are at peace with Him are called to be instruments of His peace. Our task is to let a lost world know that peace with Almighty God is possible.
Blessing Of Purpose – Day 8
Romans 16:25-27 is Paul’s own benediction to the book of Romans. It’s lengthy and can be easily and accurately rendered as follows:
Now to Him who is able to establish you in accordance…with the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past…to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Blessing Of Kingdom Labor – Day 9
I Corinthians 15:58 – Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Blessing Of Joy – Day 10
II Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Every phrase in this verse seems to echo other passages. It’s easy to personalize this for a worship service or as a prayer for a family member or friend. Consider this:
Lord, help us to rejoice in You. Help us work for restoration, to encourage each other, to be of one mind and to live in peace. And we ask that You, the God of love and peace, will be with us always.
Blessing Of The Trinity – Day 11
II Corinthians 13:14 – The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
I love how the Spirit inspired Paul to phrase this verse. Notice the attributes of each Person of the Trinity. We are saved by grace (through faith) because of Jesus’ sacrifice, a plan conceived before the foundation of the world because of the Father’s great love, and we have continual fellowship with the Spirit as our assurance that the work which has begun in us will be completed!
Blessing Of Grace And Peace – Day 12
Galatians 1:3-5 – Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing Of Enlightenment – Day 13
Ephesians 1:18-19a – I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.
Blessings Of Strength And Power – Day 14 (3 in 1)
Ephesians 3:16-17a – I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
Ephesians 3:17b-19 – And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:20-21 – Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This passage gives us a key to understanding how a blessing/benediction is bestowed upon others. Verse 20 says: according to His power that is at work within us… The mind-blowing reality is that Almighty God, the Holy Sovereign of time and eternity, has chosen to appropriate His power through the prayers of His people. His Spirit is at work within us guiding and shaping our prayers. And we know that if we ask anything according to His will, He will do it. So praying God’s Word is something we can and should do with great confidence.
Blessing Of Righteousness – Day 15
Philippians 1:9-11 – And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Blessings Of Strength, And Peace Of God – Day 16
Philippians 4:6-7 – [adapted as follows…] Father, please strengthen us to not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to You. And let Your peace, which passes all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Blessings Of Peace, Worship And Thanksgiving – Day 17 (3 in 1)
Giving Thanks
Colossians 3:15 – Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:16 – Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Blessings Of Love And Holiness – Day 18
I Thessalonians 3:12-13 – May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones.
Blessing Of Sanctification – Day 19
I Thessalonians 5:23-24 – May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
Also see Philippians 1:6.
Blessings Of Love, Comfort And Hope – Day 20
II Thessalonians 2:16-17 – May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
Blessings Of Peace And Presence – Day 21
II Thessalonians 3:16 – Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Blessings Of Adoration – Day 22
I Timothy 1:7 – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I Timothy 6:15-16 – God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone is immortal and Who lives in unapproachable light, Whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Blessing Of Equipping – Day 23
Hebrews 13:20-21 – Now may the God of peace, Who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing Of Maturity – Day 24
II Peter 3:18 – (I pray that you…) grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Blessings Of His Calling – Day 25
Jude 1-2 – To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Blessing Of Divine Joy – Day 26
Jude 24-25 – To Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling and to set you before the presence of His glory without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Blessings Of Grace And Peace – Day 27
Revelation 1:4b-5a – Grace and peace to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, and from the seven spirits before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, Who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
Blessing Of Freedom – Day 28
Revelation 5b-6 – To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father—to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Blessings Of Praise – Day 29
Revelation 5:12-13 – Worthy is the Lamb, Who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise…To Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!
Blessing Of Eternal Life – Day 30
Revelation 22:17, 20-21 – The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come!’ Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life…He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Blessing Of Generations – Day 31
Let me close by going back to the Psalms. And just know that this is my prayer for every believer who reads these pages! It is truly one of God’s blessings to His children that we can ask Him to bless eath other.
Psalm 115:14-15 – May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Sermon On The Mount
An Observation And Resource
In His Model Prayer (Matthew 6) Jesus told us to pray for our daily needs. But that wasn’t the major thrust of that prayer. And did you notice that these prayers of blessing don’t ask for material things? Too often our prayers are centered on our personal needs rather than building up the body of Christ. And while it’s perfectly fine to bring our personal needs to the Lord, we need to keep His perspective. In the same Sermon on the Mount where He gave us the Model Prayer He also said:
Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.
He really does know what we need before we ask Him!
The QR code (below) will allow you to download this post as a PDF. I’d suggest folding it and putting it inside your Bible. A quick reference guide to these benedictions in the Bible can be helpful to anyone who wants to pray the Lord’s blessings for others!
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