By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. Hebrews 11:21 (KJV)

In Bible days, the father would bless his sons before he died. To bless means to speak well of. Releasing a father’s blessing gives love, acceptance and an empowerment to prosper. Each of us needs to be loved, accepted and blessed by our fathers.

We long for and crave the words of our fathers, just as Jesus did when He heard His heavenly Father say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.” This gave Jesus empowerment to be successful in His earthly ministry. No matter what He faced, He was able to overcome because He had His Father’s blessing.

As parents, we need to bless our children at a young age so they know they have our approval and acceptance. Children who do not get this blessing will seek approval and acceptance in other ways: sex, drugs, gangs, and other such things.

The sad thing is that many children never get the blessing simply because the parent never received it from his or her parents. There must come a time when the cycle is broken and the blessing is released.

I grew up never knowing my biological dad, so I never received his blessing. But, when I got born again, I received my heavenly Father’s blessing, which is much better. However, I have seen family members who did not receive the blessing of their earthly father, and they sought it from him for years. And it did not do them well. God protected me from the lack of my father’s blessing harming me, although I did get myself in a lot of messes before I got saved. But now, I know my heavenly Father loves and accepts me, and I have His blessing. Therefore, I can face anything as a healthy person.

When man won’t, or can’t, give you his blessing, know that your heavenly Father has given it to you. Receive it and be free to be the person God made you to be. As you receive the love of the Father, you can go on and be a blessing to others. Let them know that they have a heavenly Father who will speak the blessing over them, imparting wholeness to them and the ability to live a healthy, happy life.