Being a leader or teacher in children’s ministry is a noble calling. Paul writes that you are a gift to the Church, the body of Christ. You are a follower of Jesus who shows us what teaching should look like.
A disciple learns by seeking to imitate their teacher. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am,” Jesus said. (John 13:13) We can learn much about how to teach, and what is expected of us, by looking closely at the gospel accounts, and seeing Jesus’ response to parents and children.
He said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them, and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16 NIVTM
Blessing Children: Following Jesus’ Example
We were recently speaking to young adults in a conference setting. We had been worshipping for a while and praying, and the awesome sense of God’s presence rested heavily upon us all. We had a short break, and one of the young mothers came up and asked whether I would bless her child who was struggling.
Before I knew it, all the mums were there asking for their babies and children to be blessed also. What a joy to find a small crowd of little children gathered together, looking wide-eyed and expectant, ready to have the name of Jesus spoken over their lives.
We read about a similar story in the gospels.
People were bringing little children to Jesus for Him to place His hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant.
He said to them, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it”. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)
One of the ministries we often miss out on as teachers or leaders is the ministry of blessing children.
Why Do We Bless Children? And How?
It is part of our calling as disciples of Jesus to bless others. We do this by our example, our acts of mercy and kindness, our liberality, but also by our words of spoken blessing.
We also bless because we are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and one of our priestly roles is to bless with spoken words, just as Jesus did.
Throughout the Old Testament we read of children being blessed as well as adults. Many Jewish families make a practice even now of blessing their children at their Friday evening mealtime as they begin their sabbath.
It is part of our calling as disciples of Jesus that we bless others. We do this by our example, our acts of mercy and kindness, our liberality, but also by our words of spoken blessing.
How do we bless children?
We see untold, unformed, and unique potential in every life before us. How will they grow up and know love, acceptance, value, and security? How do we prepare them to navigate the pitfalls of adult life, living in a fallen world, unless the affirmation and blessing of God is ringing in their ears?
Part of our role as teachers and leaders is to speak words of blessing over them.
What do we say?
Saying “I bless you in the name of Jesus, that He might …” would be a very good start.
- We can consider questions such as ‘what does God want for this child?’ and ‘What promises does God’s Word contain that might be relevant?’ and ‘What does this child need?’
- We might consider the whole person of the child: their physical and mental health; social skills and friendships; a healthy home life, for starters.
We might ask ourselves what we are, or should be, praying for that student. We could turn those prayers into blessings so that what we speak to heaven is also spoken out on earth.
Examples of Blessings
We might then say something such as “I bless you in the name of Jesus, that He might give you all the help you need as you grow up.”
Others might include “I bless you in the name of Jesus, that He might reveal Himself and His love to you.”
It could be about the release of Godly dreams for their future. Other examples are:
- Revelation of Jesus
- Direction for their lives
- Help making friends
- The ability to understand their lessons and how to apply them
God’s desires are God-sized, so there is no one size fits all.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find the right words.
A Story from Harry Secombe
A famous Welsh comedian (Harry Secombe) spoke of his childhood and of a boy living down the road from him whose father was harsh and violent. On Sunday mornings he would shout for his son, give him some change, and send him to the shop to fetch a newspaper.
He would always threaten to beat him with a strap if he brought back the wrong change. Later, the comedian reconnected with the now grown-up son and asked how he had survived such a home.
He replied that he would time his errand each Sunday so he could put his head around the door of the parish church in time to hear the Vicar say “The Lord bless you and keep you, etc.” as the service ended.
Each time a warmth, strength, and power to live came upon him and lasted all week. Sadly, the vicar never knew of the life he preserved through his act of speaking blessing. God knew, though.
Each time a warmth, strength, and power to live came upon him and lasted all week.
We read about the commencement of the institutional priesthood in Numbers 6 and in the last verse comes a precious promise that as we bless people, He will bless them. We speak the words, but it is God who releases their effectiveness.
More on Blessing Children
Do we need to touch the child when we bless like Jesus did? It’s worth noticing that the parents were present and wanted Jesus to touch the children, possibly because they had seen Him healing people and assumed that power lay in His touch. It’s also possible that they asked for Jesus’ touch because that was the way that blessing was traditionally carried out in the Old Testament—touch and words together.
Today, with all the shocking reality of historical and prevalent abuse of children, wisdom would speak loudly and say, ‘do not touch.’ There are some exceptions though. If the parents are present and ask you to include putting your hand on their head, for example, you might choose to do so.
Children have an amazing capacity for receiving blessing in Jesus’ name. We were in a particularly powerful ministry session where adults and children alike were being blessed.
The young children ran to the front, asking loudly for more!
My new interactive book, And I Will Bless Them opens up the biblical background and present-day practice of spoken blessing. It is designed for individuals and small groups and includes access to a series of seven freely accessible videos which are designed to help you enter the realm of ministering blessing to others.
This is one biblical way to change the world, one life at a time.
Ready to help parents create an environment for spiritual growth?
Ready to help parents create an environment for spiritual growth?
