I Had to Change My Morning Blessing
—Grace & Truth Linkup
The Morning Blessing
Most mornings I say it aloud.
I put my hands together, point in the direction of their homes, and say this blessing over my daughters, two of my favorite people in the world:
May you be seen.
May you be healed.
May you be loved.
Then I place my hand on my heart. And pray it over myself, too.
These are three things—to be seen, to be healed, to be loved—that everyone needs as they journey through life, both on easy roads and through hard turns.
But does this prayer work?
God Doesn’t Wait on Me
I can’t explain how God does or doesn’t work.
But I do believe God doesn’t wait on my request to send out love. I trust God is always busy loving, always actively working good in people, because that is who God is.
God’s very nature is love and goodness. With or without my request.
But I like to talk with God anyway about what’s on my heart, to let God know I want to be a companion in the work.
Yet lately the blessing I pray has felt incomplete.
It’s Our Business Too
Not as a failure on God’s part. God’s business is constantly seeing, healing, loving.
But this is supposed to be my business, too.
So I’ve expanded my morning blessing over my family and myself to include giving as well as receiving:
May you see.
May you be seen.
May you heal.
May you be healed.
May you love.
May you be loved.
Because often it’s in the doing that we’re most radically transformed.
In the seeing, the healing, and the loving of others, we feel most seen, healed, and loved.
In the giving we learn how to receive.
The One Who Needs It Most . . .
I know my girls are already doing these three things.
My girls don’t need my prayer.
And I know God is already doing these things.
God doesn’t need my prompting.
I am the one who needs to hear it most.
I am the one who needs to say it most.
It is my heart that God works on when I ask for clear alignment each morning for purity and wholeness.
Perhaps I’ll need to alter this morning blessing again as time goes on.
But for today, it feels just right.
Featured Post
In today’s featured post for the Grace & Truth Linkup, Ashley bravely shares what she wish she’d done differently when she felt suicidal, as well as gives us 11 reminders for anyone struggling now with suicidal thoughts.
We all know someone who has either committed suicide or has contemplated suicide. It affects every family to some degree at some point.
It’s a quite complicated and usually misunderstood thing.
Read all of Ashley’s post here at her blog, then link up your own blog posts below.
“Suicidal Thoughts: What I Wish I’d Done Differently”
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
Review the rules here about adding your most recent Christian Living posts and how to be the Featured Post. Visit all four hosts social media here or websites here: Maree Dee, Lisa notes, Lauren Sparks, Tammy Kennington.
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I have never incorporated a daily blessing into my prayer life, but I can see how it connects you to your girls. I like how embodied it is.
It does help me start each morning feeling connected to my loved ones (and myself) in a positive way. God is gracious to help me begin my days like this.
I love the whole idea of a morning blessing, Lisa. We yearn for those touchpoints in our dailyness, don’t we. He smiles as the words morph and adjust …
I love the imagery of the Lord smiling with us as we attempt to stretch and grow. Thank you, Linda.
You’re absolutely right, God doesn’t “need” our help
BUT
His heart’s desire is for us to participate in the work because when we do, the blessings are multiplied.
Exactly, Barb! We’ve experienced this enough to know it’s true.
I love your morning blessing, Lisa. I simply pray for my kids every day but your blessing is helpful. I can add it to my prayer.
That’s beautiful that you pray for your kids every day, Aritha.
Thank you Lisa, what a beautiful blessing to pray each day.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer. It helps me to start my mornings off with a positive intention in conversation with God.
Great post. I loke the idea of a morning blessing. I say prayers at night, but should add this too.
I’m more of a morning person so mornings work best for me. By nighttime, I’m usually worn out. 🙂
What wonderful blessings to pray each day! And God hears every prayer, catches every tear (even keeping them in a bottle – Ps. 56:8), and remembers everything we do for Him or others (Heb. 6:10).
Yes, what a wonderful God we have to do those things for each of us!
I love how this prayer is evolving and blessing you too. Love it!
Thanks, Jean. I’m thankful that God gently nudges us along to grow and change in our faith and in our prayers.
I love your new blessing, Lisa. It’s so important to turn our focus outward.
I agree, Donna. Sometimes our greatest blessings come when we are blessing others.
Love your prayer for yourself and your girls! Thanks so much for the feature!
I appreciate your honesty in your post, Ashley. It’s vital information for others to know. Thanks for linking up with Grace and Truth.
What a beautiful blessing, Lisa. At times, I’ve prayed different verses from scripture as a blessing over my children. I love that God invites us to communicate with Him through prayer, listens to our hearts, and somehow uses our simple words.
Lisa, I thought the original version of your blessing was wonderful, but I love the new wording even more. I pray several things for my family and myself, but I’m going to write this one down and add it to the list. ❤️
I love this so much, Lisa. I’m writing it down and praying over the ones I love.
This really struck a chord with me: “It is my heart that God works on when I ask for clear alignment each morning for purity and wholeness.”