Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: Blessing the Father’s Child
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
~Romans 12:14 NIV
Many of us are working diligently to learn to be “blessers”—those that are purposeful to bless and be a blessing to those the Lord places around us.
As the Body of Christ, we are endowed with the authority to speak blessing and to be a blessing. The Father strategically positions us to be agents of grace and mercy, ministers of comfort and bringers of peace and hope as we share the hope of Christ within us to the hurting.
We can be so wonderful at blessing others, but at the same time, we can say some of the cruelest, demeaning and heartless things to the Father’s child.
We are that child.
We tell ourselves that we are stupid, ugly, or lazy—that we will never amount to anything. We speak curses over ourselves saying that our plans will fail, that we have no willpower, we are useless, we were a mistake, we will always be poor or will never get well.
We wouldn’t like it if someone said those things to our child or our best friend, but somehow we think it is okay when we say those things about ourselves. We forget we are the Father’s child. He doesn’t like it when anyone bullies His beloved child, even if the bully is the child him/herself.
We forget we are the Father’s child.
~Julie Souza Bradley Lilly, contributing author to Love Knots: Stories of Faith, Family, and Friendships
He wants us to think about ourselves the way He thinks about us, and to, instead, say THOSE things to ourselves when bullying words come to mind.
Let’s speak the blessing of God’s Word aloud (rewritten in the first person) over our lives instead of curses, and see how blessings can make a dramatic change for the better.
When struggling with controlling anger:
“I am patient and wise; I am not like those who are hot-tempered and display their foolishness.” (Proverbs 14:29).
When fighting anxiety and worry:
“I am not anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, I present my requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
When tempted to compromise from God’s best:
“I am one of the blessed who keeps God’s statutes, and I seek him with all my heart— I do no wrong, but follow his ways.”
(Psalms 119:2-3)
When lacking confidence:
“I am strong and courageous. I am not afraid or discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go.”
(Joshua 1:9)
When depressed:
“The eyes of the Lord are on me, and his ears are attentive to my cry; when I cry out, the Lord hears me; he delivers me from all my troubles.” (Psalms 34:15, 17)
When tempted to doubt:
“I live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:77)
When struggling against fear:
“For the Spirit God gave me does not make me timid, but gives me power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
When guilty & in need of forgiveness:
“The Lord my God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from me if I return to him.” (2 Chronicles 30:9)
When feeling unloved:
“I love Him because He loved me first.” (1 John 4:19)
Which of the above Scriptures resonates in your heart the loudest?
Father God, forgive us for speaking harshly to Your child. Teach us to be kind to ourselves, extend grace, and to speak blessings over our lives instead of curses. In the reading of Your Word, help us to realize that the precious things that You say about Your children are being said about us. Stop us short of speaking curses, so we can choose to speak the beautiful truth about the value, purpose, and future You have given us. We thank You that we are new creations in Christ Jesus. The old person we were has passed away. You have made us brand new.
In Jesus’ Name ❤️
Copyright 2020: Blessing the Father’s Child: Author Julie Souza Bradley Lilly: All Rights Reserved
Meet Our Contributor
JULIE SOUZA BRADLEY LILLY
Julie Souza Bradley Lilly is the writer of Prayers of a Ragamuffin Warrior, a self-professed chief cooks and bottle washers at Gift of Thorns on Facebook.
When asked about who she is, Julie is quick to tell you that she is a worshipper, a servant, blessed wife, step-mom of four adult children, caregiver, retired chiropractor, writer, and most importantly, a forgiven daughter of God.
With thirty-plus years in healthcare, Julie is passionate about seeing the broken come to receive healing and find wholeness in right-relationship with the Creator. Through her own multiple injuries, PTSD, a traumatic brain injury, and other health concerns, she has found the generosity of God to be true to His Word, in turning all things together for the good, for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
For those entrusted with a thorn in the flesh, it is one of Julie’s greatest joys to see the discovery of the treasure the Father hides tucked in among the thorns. Julie shares that God is good and His mercies endure forever!
It is Julie’s prayer that the body of believers will honor the Lord and encourage one another toward wholeness, spiritual growth, and mountain-moving faith. Julie is grateful for the privilege of being a servant writer at VineWords.
For more encouragement visit Julie’s websites. At Prayers of a Ragamuffin Warrior, Julie shares encouraging articles with prayers. At Gift of Thorns, Julie shares powerful and life-changing input from writers who are passionate about pursuing God.
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BOOKSHELF
I love this list of Scriptures. So helpful Thanks for a great post, Julie.
Thank you for your kindness, Karen. God bless you!
Julie, this is profound. Ahhhhhmazing! Yes, we need to bless THE FATHER’S CHILD. Vital message. Thank you.
I LOVE the message and practical application of this. Thanks! I think sometimes we know what to do. We just need real advice on the “How?” portion.
Julie thank you for the reminder of whose I am and to remember I am the Father’s child. Thank you and keep exhorting…
So true. Father help me to speak blessings to myself and to others.
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Glenda! God bless you!