Testimony:[1] Speaking Blessing on Others Changes Things
Stephen had failed the seventh grade the previous year and was now not passing in school. He brought home his first report card with all failing grades for his second year around in the same grade. The attentive parents had held conferences with the school officials, punished Stephen, and even attempted to encourage change by offering rewards. They were careful to see that Stephen was in Sunday School and church each week. In spite of all their sincere efforts, nothing worked.
In desperation, they appealed to their pastor, Bill Ligon, for prayer. Perhaps God would do something to turn Stephen’s life around. When Pastor Ligon offered to teach them the Biblical principles of blessing, they readily accepted. Soon they were applying the Biblical plan of blessing to Stephen’s life, laying hands on him daily and speaking success into every area where he had failed. Stephen’s attitudes began to change. He completed the seventh grade level that year with high scores and moved on to the next level where he continued to succeed. Similar cases to Stephen’s have been experienced where parents have learned the value of blessing their children, devoting the time necessary to learn how to bless. Their diligence in imparting spoken blessing has paid off for their children.
When children receive the blessing imparted by parents, godly character is built. So it was with Stephen. He began to receive new motivation to apply himself to his studies. Instead of being distracted and slothful, he became alert and attentive to the important matters in his life. His old problem had nothing to do with any learning disability. Stephens’ character changed when his parents began to impart life to him through the spoken blessing—and so did his grades.
Recognizing the blessing as God’s way of bringing the covenant into active play upon the lives of their children is one of the great responsibilities of parents. Knowledge of the power of the blessing and God’s plan for using it will encourage concerned parents to bless their children. As parents then understand how the future of their children often hangs upon their willingness to bless, they will devote themselves to learning how to impart the blessing. “I never realized just how powerful the blessing could be,” one mother said, “until I began to speak blessing over my hyperactive child. I see changes taking place as I bless him every day with peace, self-control, and unselfish love for others.”
The blessing is always a spoken one, not just a desire hidden in the heart of a parent. Words have power when they are released. Loving parents should find it easy to choose effective words to impart blessings to their children. Those accustomed to being very quiet may need to give special attention to developing the art of communication through the spoken word.
Some parents who normally are non-verbal about their faith will demonstrate great ability to express themselves when called upon to bless their children. When Pastor Bill Ligon picked up the telephone, the excited voice on the other end of the line said with joy, “Pastor, I must tell you what happened to me today. I was listening to your tapes on Imparting the Blessing, when I suddenly felt remorse that my father could not bless me. I had never heard him pray, read the Bible, or express a desire to attend church. Almost at the same moment on the tape, you said that some would think that their parents could not bless them for a lack of spiritual commitment. You went on to say that God would honor their office and that the blessing imparted from them would have a positive effect on the child who received it. I went home immediately and asked my father to bless me. After I explained what the blessing was all about, he laid hands on me and spoke the most wonderful blessing I could imagine. Pastor, I feel that I am floating about two feet off the ground.” Her father, who was normally silent about his faith, had brought the words forth out of a heart full of love for his daughter. We never know what will come out of our mouths when we choose to speak life over our children.
Stephen, the boy mentioned earlier, learned the power of the blessing over the curse. His parents began to speak blessing over his life so they could break the curse of failure over him. But something else happened which was a great source of encouragement to Stephen. He was taught how to break a curse over his own life. Stephen had misbehaved so often in the classroom that the teachers had him marked as a trouble-maker. “No matter what you do now to reform, some teachers will look on you as a failure,” Pastor Ligon told him. “You must learn the power of the words of Jesus in Luke 6:28 which say, ‘Bless them that curse you.’” Stephen approached Pastor Ligon’s desk several times as if the pastor were his teacher, and he wanted a blessing instead of condemnation. He finally learned his part well. Then Pastor Ligon prepared him to return to school the next day and bless his teachers who were now cursing him. Arriving at each classroom throughout the day, he approached the teacher and said, “I am very sorry for the way I have acted in your class, and I ask you to forgive me. I do want to change and become a good student. You are a fine teacher. If you will help me, I know I can learn in your class.”
Pastor Ligon warned Stephen that at least one teacher would not believe anything he said. He was prepared for her. He stood erect and listened quietly as she dressed him down. “Who are you trying to fool,” she snapped back. “You are just a troublemaker. You have caused me more trouble than anyone in all my classes. You will never make anything out of yourself. You are a failure now and you will always be one.”
When she had finished, Stephen replied, “I understand how you feel and I am sorry that I have caused it. But you are an excellent teacher. With your help, things will be different.” The teacher’s attitude changed immediately, and life turned around for Stephen as he broke the curse with the blessing. From then on, he enjoyed the daily blessings of his parents and his teachers over his life. His grades all changed from failure to high scores. Stephen was on his way to success.
Stephen graduated from high school with excellent grades and eventually became a jet pilot flying for a cargo company.
[1] From Imparting the Blessing: Your Biblical Heritage: What the Jewish Patriarchs Knew by William T. Ligon, Sr., Copyright 1989 William T. Ligon, Sr., The Father’s Blessing Publishers, Brunswick, Georgia. Used by permission.
http://www.TheFathersBlessing.com.
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