Over the years, I have written about the personal impact that A Father's Guide to Blessing His Children has had in my own family. You can read those testimonies here, here, and here. If I had to make a “Top Ten” list of biblical resources that have impacted my family, A Father's Guide to Blessing His Children would be near the top. And the amazing thing is that it is not overly complicated, time-consuming, or financially costly. The nighttime blessing from their father was the “must-have” routine before my children would go to bed—no matter what had transpired during the day.
Listen to the heart of Pastor David Michael as he explains the purpose of this resource:
This booklet and the accompanying blessing cards have grown out of a heart and vision to encourage men to bless their households. Most Christian men understand that they are called to be spiritual leaders in their home, but not all have a clear idea of what that means. Part of the reason for this is that many of us grew up with fathers who were not good examples of spiritual leadership. In fact, for the past several generations men were more likely to assume spiritually passive roles in the home, thus abdicating both the physical and spiritual care of their children to their wives. The more troubled families and marriages I see, the more I am motivated and inspired to encourage men toward life-giving spiritual leadership in the home.
Although blessing his wife and children will not make a man a godly leader, I have found it to be a place where many men can begin. The discipline of blessing his children at bedtime can begin to give a man a sense that he is doing something spiritually significant for his children. It helps him to feel more like a leader and thus more likely to embrace the wider responsibility for the spiritual encouragement of his wife and children. It helps to build confidence when he sees God work through such a simple thing.
I invite you, dear brothers, to join me in being a blessing to our households. I urge my sisters to encourage and support their men in this vision for the faith and the joy of the next generation.
Don’t miss out on this wonderful resource for your own family. Consider giving it as a Father’s Day gift. It also makes a wonderful gift to give to a father on the birth of a new baby. Tell your pastor about it and think about providing a copy to the fathers in your church. You can learn more about the booklet here.
