How To Bless (2)

Okay, we know what it means for God to bless us – He gives us something good, something beneficial, something for which we give thanks. That’s easy to understand, but how do WE bless GOD?

We don’t have anything to give God that He needs (see Acts 17:25). This is part of the meaning of being “poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3 – humble, nothing of value to bring to God). So, blessing God isn’t about somehow giving Him something He needs or something that somehow improves Him or His existence. But we ARE to bless Him…

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits" Psa 103:1-2

"I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psa 34:1

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ..." Ephesians 1:3

If you are reading in different translations, you will notice that instead of the word “bless” words like “praise” or “extol” are sometimes used in the above verses. This is because the words for “bless” can sometimes have the meaning of recognizing the positive and benevolent qualities of the one being blessed or praised. So, blessing God, rather than us being benevolent or generous to Him in some way is actually us acknowledging that He is benevolent and generous to us.

We bless God by thanking Him, by praising Him, by worshiping Him, and by telling others of His goodness, mercy, and grace. We can see this in Jesus’ prayer when He instituted the Lord’s supper. Matthew says Jesus “blessed” the bread (Matt 26:26) and Luke says He gave “thanks” (Lk 22:17-19). It’s not a mistake or contradiction. These are two ways of expressing the same thing. Praise can be a form of thanksgiving and thanksgiving can be a form of praise. So, BLESS THE LORD!

"I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing to You among the nations." Psalm 57:9

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