ACCESSING THE BLESSING OF THE LORD
BY T. O. BANSO
Some basic things are required for true success in life. One of them is the blessing of the Lord. I concede that one can amass wealth by hook or by crook without the blessing of the Lord. But the result wonât be a true success.
Proverbs 10:22 says the blessing of the LORD makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. The Hebrew word for blessing in this scripture is berakah, which means âbenediction; by implication prosperityâ (Strongâs Concordance). Therefore, to be blessed means to be empowered to prosper, and to prosper means to be successful.
Amazingly, even Satan acknowledged that the blessing of the LORD can make a difference in someoneâs life. Satan told God that one of the reasons Job feared God was because âYou [God] have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the landâ (Job 1:10 NKJV). The word âblessedâ in this scripture is barak in Hebrew.
Before the fall of man, God blessed (Hebrew: barak) man at creation (Genesis 1:28). Though He blessed the sea creatures and the birds to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22), it was only the man that He gave the power to have dominion.
Although God pronounced a curse on man after the fall, we can, through Jesus, access the blessing of the Lord. âHow we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christâ (Ephesians 1:3 NLT). Every child of God is blessed and can access His blessing. I pray that like Naphtali, you will be satisfied with favor and full of the blessing of the Lord (Deuteronomy 33:23).
How to access the blessing of the Lord
1. Be born again. The Bible says, âBlessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sinâ (Romans 4:7-8 NKJV). That means those who have not yet received forgiveness of their sins are not blessed because their sins still count against them. Theyâre still under the curse of the law. Proverbs 28:13 says whoever covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
To access the blessing of the Lord, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Believe in your heart unto righteousness and confess with your mouth unto salvation (Romans 10:10). Believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and your Saviour.
2. Obey God. Obedience to Godâs Word is key to accessing His blessing. Disobedience will hinder anyone from accessing the blessing of the Lord. You cannot continue in sin and ask that grace abound (Romans 6:1).
Deuteronomy 28 records blessings and curses. Obedience attracts the blessing of the Lord (verses 1-14) while disobedience attracts curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Leviticus 26:14-46).
Because Abraham had obeyed the LORD to sacrifice Isaac and He stopped him at the point of killing him, He said, âblessing I will bless youâ (Genesis 22:17a NKJV). He blessed him. If you want to access the blessing of the Lord, obey His Word and the Holy Spirit. Although we are no more under the law and Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, God still demands obedience to Him. To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22b).
3. Consecrate yourself. God is holy. He told the children of Israel, and by extension, all His children, âConsecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your Godâ (Leviticus 20:7 NKJV).
Consecrate yourself and be holy as Moses told the Levites. âThen Moses said, âConsecrate yourselves today to the LORD, that He may bestow on you a blessing this dayââ (Exodus 32:29a NKJV). You cannot be willfully living in sin and think you can access the blessing of the Lord.
4. Be faithful. Faithful people are trustworthy people, and such people are blessed by the Lord and men. Proverbs 28:20a says, âA faithful man will abound with blessingsâ (NKJV).
Illustrating the Kingdom of heaven with the story of three servants, Jesus said that the first two servants were praised by their master, one after the other, for being faithful in handling the small amounts he gave them. Therefore, he made them rulers over many things (Matthew 25:21, 23). But the unfaithful third servant was not blessed by his master. He was punished (verses 26-30). A similar thing happened in the parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-27).
In the parable of the unjust steward, Jesus said, âHe who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?â (Luke16:10-11 NKJV).
5. Put your trust in the Lord. Put your trust in Him. âBlessed are all those who put their trust in Himâ (Psalm 2:12b NKJV).
Jeremiah 17:7-8 says, âBlessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruitâ (NKJV).
If you want to enjoy the blessing of the Lord, put your trust in Him, not in man. Jeremiah 17:5-6 says: âCursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabitedâ (NKJV).
6. Give to the Lord. Giving money and other material things to the Lord opens your life to His blessing. This does not mean His blessing is for sale. It means that youâre a responsible child. Nobody can buy the blessing of the Lord. How much will you pay the Lord who is the owner of everything?
After Solomon had offered the LORD a thousand burnt offerings at Gibeon, He appeared to him in a dream and blessed him. He gave him more than he asked for. He gave him a wise and understanding heart which he had asked for so that there had not been anyone like him before and after him. He also gave him riches and honour, which he didnât ask for so that there shall not be anyone like him among the kings all his days (1 Kings 3:4-15).
7. Honour the servants of the Lord and give to the poor and needy. Honouring the servants of the Lord can provoke the pronouncement of His blessing on you. This includes giving financial and material gifts to the servants of God (Galatians 6:6; 1 Timothy 5:17-18). âThe best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest’s; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your houseâ (Ezekiel 44:30 NKJV).
The Shunammite woman got the miracle of a son because she took care of the prophet of God, Elisha. When the son died, Elisha also raised him back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37).
Moses pronounced a blessing upon the Israelites before he died. Deuteronomy 33:1 introduces this chapter by saying, âThis is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, gave to the people of Israel before his deathâ (NLT) Please take note of the phrase âMoses, the man of God.â
While it is true that all believers today are priests, the Lord has given some people as gifts to the church: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). As men of God, they can pronounce His blessing on you in response to your support for them.
Paul said, âThe Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chainâ (2 Timothy 1:16 NKJV). He also prayed for the Philippians who had sent gifts to him, âAnd my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesusâ (Philippians 4:19 NKJV).
Also, giving to the poor and needy can release the blessing of the Lord upon you. Proverbs 22:9 says, âHe who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poorâ (NKJV). The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered (Proverbs 11:25).
Likewise, Proverbs 19:17 says, âHe who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, and He will pay back what he has givenâ (NKJV). The Lord is not a debtor. He will pay back whatever you lend Him. Also, Proverbs 28:27 says, âHe who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many cursesâ (NKJV). If you give to the poor and needy, the Lord will bless you.
8. Provide for your parents. One of the important keys to accessing the blessings of the Lord is to provide for your parents. Even if they have everything they need, look for ways to do for them what will make them bless you.
Isaac told Esau to make him savory food, such as he loved. He said he should bring it to him so that he might eat and his soul might bless him before he died (Genesis 27:4). After Isaac realized that Jacob had deceived him to receive the blessing, he told Esau, âI have blessed him [Jacob] â and indeed he shall be blessedâ (Genesis 27:33b NKJV). It was the savory food that Isaac ate that provoked the blessing he released upon Jacob. Also in Genesis 49, Jacob spoke his last words to his sons, which was in form of a blessing.
Providing for your parents is part of honouring your father and your mother so that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God has given you (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). It will attract the blessing of the Lord on you. Jesus supported giving to oneâs parents (Mark 7:9-13). Giving to the Lord doesnât cancel this.
9. Associate with the carriers of the blessing of the Lord. Joseph was a successful man in Potipharâs house because the LORD was with him. The LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; His blessing was on all that he had in the house and in the field.
Associating with those the blessing of the Lord is upon opens you up to the blessing of the Lord. That was what the Egyptian boss of Joseph enjoyed. The opposite is also true. The curse, working in someoneâs life, may affect those associated with him. How do you recognize such people? Listen to the Holy Spirit. Be sensitive. Potiphar was not a Christian; yet, he recognized that there was something positively unique about Joseph! Josephâs boss recognized the impact of his presence and he committed his entire household into his hand (Genesis 39:2-6).
But the mariners in the ship with Jonah would have shipwrecked because of Jonah (Jonah 1:4-16). If God is resisting a man, partnering him in any endeavour may end in a colossal failure (2 Chronicles 20:35-37; 1 Kings 22:48). Romans 8:31b says, âIf God be for us, who can be against us?â (KJV). Conversely, if God is against someone, it makes no difference who is for him. May God not be against you in Jesusâ name.
10. Pray. Prayer is important in accessing the blessing of the Lord. But without the previous conditions being satisfied, it will be ineffective. Prayer for the blessing of the Lord is an acknowledgment that it is superior to your labour but not a substitute. Do all you are supposed to do and pray for the blessing of the Lord.
Zechariah 10:1 says, âAsk the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyoneâ (NKJV). In Israel, the former rain fell in autumn (October-November) while the latter rain fell between March and April in the spring. The former rain was needed for planting while the latter rain was needed for an abundant grain harvest. This is the literal meaning of the former rain and latter rain.
Praying for the blessing of the Lord is like praying for rain at the planting of your seeds and for your crops to mature for harvest as you do all you need to do. Paul planted and Apollos watered, but only God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6). May the blessing of the Lord be upon you.
Conclusion: As Iâve pointed out, if Satan could acknowledge the difference the blessing of the LORD could make in someoneâs life, you should not despise it. Ensure that you access the blessing of the Lord.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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