Smith sensed that everyone was looking for a blessing. He saw the desires as related to the problems people were experiencing. But they were looking for blessings in the wrong places.Wanting to somehow help those he saw in need, he remembered the power of praying a blessing. He wrote his own prayer, drawing from many sources including Numb. 6:24-26. He realized his prayer was addressing something missing in people's Christian experience. He has been praying the prayer ever since.
He is quick to say there is nothing magic about this prayer. God responds to the heart, not a formula. But he is convinced “that in this book you will find simple, biblical principles of living that can turn your spiritual life into something beautiful that soars above the mundane and finds the true joy that God yearns for each of us to experience.” (16)
He has broken his prayer into six specific blessings. He explains the value of each and gives practical guidance on how to be open to the blessing and enjoy its benefits.
This is not a “bless me” book. Christians are to be God's instrument to bless others. Smith calls Christians “sub-blessers.” “We have no original blessing to give; we merely pass on what God gives us.” (60)
In the end Smith reminds his readers that it is not wrong to desire a blessing for yourself. “...[W]hen we pray for God's blessing, we are praying for God to put us where he intended for us to be, doing what he intended for us to be.” (156)
If you think you have nothing to offer, Smith corrects that: “Make no mistake about it; you and I have far more power to bless and influence than we can ever imagine, even with what appear to be the most insignificant acts.” (144)
Reading this book will make a difference in your Christian life.
Zondervan, 161 pages.
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