DAILY DEVOTION, March 8, 2022

The Lord bless you and keep you: ²⁵ The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: ²⁶ The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26, RSV).

This is a beautiful prayer. It is a wonderful prayer to repeat when you pray for your family. It is also a fine prayer to speak over your enemies! When we pray this prayer, we are seeking God’s blessings upon those for whom we pray. We want the loving face of God to shine upon them. We are asking God to be gracious to those for whom we pray. We pray that the presence of God will be real to them. And we want the peace of God to fill their hearts.

You can put someone’s name into the prayer to make it personal. For example, I can use it as a prayer for my wife. “Marie, I pray that God will bless and keep you in His grace. I pray that God will be so real to you that it is like His face shining upon you. May God treat you with His gracious, unmerited favor. May His presence be with you today and always. And as you receive these blessings, may you feel divine peace in your heart.” I can insert the names of my five children, or some friend in need, or even an enemy. This is an excellent prayer to commit to memory and use it often as you pray.

Father, thank You for this inspired prayer. I often do not know what words to use when I pray. However, I know that if I faithfully pray using words that You have inspired, You will hear and answer my prayers. Thank You, in Jesus’ name, Amen.