Hebrews 13
Praying the Benedictions of God’s Word!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, January 27.
I love the ancient benedictions found in the Bible. They are powerful prayers that we can memorize and pray often. Listen to Hebrews 13:20-21.
Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
What is a benediction? It is a pronouncement of God’s favor upon God’s people; a blessing. In the Old Testament, it was a formal part of the ritual life of the Jewish people. An example of this is Numbers 6:24-26, “The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’”
Paul and the New Testament authors demonstrated how the benediction continued into the earliest churches as a pastoral practice of blessing the congregations as they gathered.
As your pastor, allow me to now bless you in this ancient priestly way:
From 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
From 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”
Seize the moment and pray God’s Word over other people and yourself. The most powerful prayers and blessings to give to others are the ones already given to you through the grace of God’s Word.
Please join us live or in-person tonight for our mid-week prayer service which begins every Wednesday at 6:15 pm every Wednesday night. Please prioritize this time or another time to participate in this community prayer.