Prayer of a Godly Household + Free Printable


 

 

Free Printable Prayer for a Godly Household - home blessingOne of the search terms that pops up in my statistics for this site (yes, I can track you!  Don’t worry, no NSA here…or is there?) almost every day is “house blessing” or something related to that.  I am assuming those who search for it are moving to a new home and are looking for a prayer or a blessing to say over their home to bless it.  And that is not what they find when they land on this site!  In fact, when I was coming up with the name for this site, it never crossed my mind that the name could be construed that way.  But, I was reading my Bible the other day and I came across a note I had written on a Psalm that said, “PRAYER FOR A GODLY HOUSEHOLD.”  ( I write in all caps in my Bible most of the time – I don’t know why.)  And it struck me as not only a lovely passage, but just what some people are looking for when they search “house blessing.”

Here is the passage from Psalm 144:12-16

A Prayer for a Godly Household

May our sons in their youth
    be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
may our granaries be full,
    providing all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
 may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;
may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
 Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

English Standard Version

 

I do want to note that in context this is referring to the land and people of Israel.  But if indeed your God is the LORD God, you are blessed and these are some blessings you may ask of Him.  And you would be considered blessed to have these blessings poured out from above.  Let’s look at them quickly and think about them for our modern families.

May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown.

This is like asking for our sons to be strong enough to bear the burdens of life: work and worries.  We want them not to wither under the heat of the noon day sun, we also don’t want them to be blown down by the winds of worry.  Rather, we want them to be like trees planted by streams of water and like seeds planted on the good soil, producing a hundred fold.

our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the structure of the palace

This is asking for a purity and dedication for our daughters, a holiness and a sanctification (set apart for a Godly purpose).  And it is seeking strength for them as well – a bearing up of the palace (the household of the king).  Notice that the prayer for the sons and daughters is similar in that respect.  The strength that is requested is, it should be noted from the context, a blessing from the LORD.  This is not bearing the burden to the breaking point in one’s own strength.  Rather it is seeking the LORD’s strength and sufficiency in all things.

May our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce

This is the prayer for provision that only comes from the lord.  He is the Lord of the harvest and the Giver of all blessings.  He makes the rain to fall upon the fields of produce and brings the harvest.  Similarly, in modern times, He indeed is the One who provides for our every nourishment.  This is not asking for an over abundance of produce, but rather enough to get until the next harvest.  But it does speak of a variety of produce, an abundance of good things from Him.

May our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields,

may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap of failure in bearing

Although we are not likely to be shepherds and cattle farmers in this day, this portion of the prayer asks for the blessings of work.  The Psalmist is asking that the work of his hands and the reward of the work of his hands be multiplied and blessed.   The purpose of being a shepherd or a cattle farmer is to be sustained by the proceeds of the work.  So the multiplication of these flocks is necessary over time.  This prayer seeks the continuation of the blessings of the LORD unto other generations.  Can we pray something similar in regards to the work of our hands?  Whatever keeps our hands busy, can we pray for it to be blessed, multiplied, and successful in the LORD to sustain our families? I think we can!

may there be no cry of distress in our streets

This is the prayer for safety and a sense of security.  But we must remember where our sense of security comes from – the LORD.  Just as the Israel of the Bible relied upon the LORD for provision and protection (and still does, by the way!), we can rely upon Him for our safety!  This is a prayer to live in the LORD without fear, knowing the blessings of His presence and protection are real.  That we need not cry out without hope of being heard, but only need to whisper our concerns to be heard by the LORD who sees and hears.

 

I know that as I write this, I am only scratching the surface of what this prayer means.  And I know that as we pray it for our household, we will discover even more riches in its words.  I pray that you and your household will be blessed of the LORD as you pray this prayer, trusting in Him for your every need.

Free Printable Prayer for a Godly Household - house blessing and devotion

 

 

Would you like to print this for your home?  I would be so honored to have you hang this in your home and pray it over your home when you look at it.  I created a couple of printable versions of it for you to print out.  I recommend that you download the printable and then have it professionally printed. I really like the one we had done at Costco.  I have included an 8 x 10 print and a 5 x7 print, so you can pick the one that works with your decor.  Just right click on the picture to download it and save it to your computer.  You can then use your own printer to print it, or, as I suggest, have it professionally printed.

The 8×10

Prayer For a Godly Household printable 8 x10

 

The 5×7Prayer for a Godly Household - printable 5x7

 


This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Liz M

    love it! I might have to print that out for our new house..
    btw, the new look of the site is awesome!

    1. ussleah

      Thanks, Liz! I am thinking about making it into a printable – would you be interested?

      1. Liz M

        I sure would – takes it off my todo list! lol 🙂

  2. conni

    Amen and amen

  3. Ashlee

    Great post! Household blessings are so important! I usually have one verse that I feel is for our family in that “season”, and I continually pray it over us.

  4. Karen

    I love the Psalms for their strength and encouragement, and these verses are just packed with that! What a beautiful job you have done of opening up the verses and applying them. It’s a sweet encouragement to know “That we need not cry out without hope of being heard, but only need to whisper our concerns to be heard by the LORD who sees and hears.”

    Thank you for sharing on Wake Up Wednesday! Wishing you a beautiful day.

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