Slices
Prepare
What does ‘blessing someone’ mean to you?
Bible passage
5 ‘Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
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. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Explore
A young mother came into Bath Abbey, pushing her baby in a stroller. I smiled and asked how old the little one was. ‘Just three weeks,’ the mother replied. ‘May I pray a blessing over her?’ I asked. The mother’s attitude changed immediately, declining my offer rather coldly, hastily moving on. I was mystified; it’s not very often that anyone refuses prayer, let alone a blessing.
Shortly afterwards, I led the hourly prayers and ended, ‘A final blessing for you and those you love.’ And I raised my hand as I prayed a blessing over the people in the abbey. Afterwards, the young mother came to find me. ‘Is that what you meant by a prayer of blessing?’ she asked. ‘Because I’d like that for the baby.’ It made me realise that our ‘Christian jargon’ is not understood by many non-churchgoers. Yet as I prayed a blessing, the mother’s face softened, she thanked me and took the ‘Why Jesus?’ booklet that I offered her.
Praying blessings on others is a rich privilege, and one that we often forget about. Paul prayed strong blessings on people – here in verse 32 and in his letters to churches. We too can pray blessings on everyone.
Respond
Use Paul’s words in verse 32 to bless someone, or Ephesians 1:17– 19 or 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17, for example. You might pray it now, or later you could send it in an email or letter, or even pray it with them in person.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Song of Songs 1,2; Psalms 97,98
Pray for Scripture Union
Ask God to provide us with the resources to appoint more Mission Enablers, so that no church is left feeling unprepared to Reveal Jesus to spiritually hungry young people in their communities. (This weeks prayers are related this this article in Connecting You.)
