Originally posted on September 22, 2023 @ 10:27 am

Blessings are vital for every human; whether old or young. I have not met anyone who does not want to be blessed. The Bible contains many instances where God blessed his people. In this article, we will study the blessings of God. I believe at the end of this study, our hearts will be more open to receiving blessings from God.

²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:28-30 NIV

What is the Blessing of God?

A blessing can be a prayer prayed for someone or something. It could also mean a favour, gift, permission, or assistance that impacts someone positively. The blessing of God is the unmerited favour and goodness given to a person by God. God is the author of blessings, every blessing we receive comes from God. The blessings from God are of different forms and have many characteristics.

Types of Blessings of God

I believe we can categorise the blessings of God into different categories based on the form of these blessings, and the categories include:

• Material or Financial Blessings (2 Corinthians 9:8): Material blessings are the blessings of God that have to do with the material or financial needs we have. Examples of material or financial blessings include the provision of shelter, food, hospital bills, clothing, money for children or family upkeep and other forms of financial provision.
• Mental Blessings (Daniel 1:20): Mental blessings are blessings from God that are pertaining to our mental and emotional needs. I believe God want each of his children to be mentally healthy so that we can be fruitful and yield a better result for the kingdom. Examples of mental blessings from God are wisdom, knowledge, understanding, breakthrough discoveries, grace to overcome depression and many more.
• Physical blessings(3 John1:2): Physical blessings are the blessings of God that have to do with our overall physical well-being. Our physical well-being is crucial for our overall output in life. Examples of physical well-being include good health, our family, our career or businesses, and our physical appearance.
• Spiritual Blessings (Ephesians 1:3-5): As the name implies, spiritual blessings are blessings in the spiritual realm. The spiritual controls the physical; if we are going to fully enjoy the physical blessings, then we must possess spiritual blessings. Examples of spiritual blessings include eternal life, the gift of the spirit, the privilege to access God’s presence and many more.

 The greatest blessing we have received is the blessing of salvation. We received these blessings when we surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus by confessing our sins and denouncing the world. We became dead to be alive in Christ, receiving full access to the Father.

Hallelujah!

List of Blessings from God

 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. ² All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:

³ You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 NIV

There are a lot of blessings we can receive from God, the list is long but here are some of the blessings we can receive from God.

1. The gift of life itself is a profound blessing.
2. The love and support of family members.
3. Good health and well-being are blessings from God.
4. Safety and Protection from harm and danger are blessings from God.
5. The love of friends, family and partners.
6. God’s forgiveness for our sins.
7. Having the necessities of life, such as food, shelter, and clothing.
8. The skills and talents we possess.
9. Access to knowledge and education
10. Doors of opportunity and advancement are blessings.
11. Inner peace and tranquillity are often sought-after blessings.
12. Experiencing happiness and joy in life.
13. The companionship and support of friends.
14. Living in a place with freedom and expression.
15. The beauty and wonder of nature.
16. Having faith and a spiritual connection is considered a profound blessing.
17. God’s guidance and direction in life.
18. Finding meaning and purpose in life is a divine blessing.
19. Being part of a supportive and caring community.
20. The promise of eternal life or salvation.

The Bible tells us that there is a blessing of God that is beyond understanding. Blessings beyond understanding are blessings we receive from God that our minds cannot fathom.

How to receive God’s blessings?

There are blessings of God which he has given to everyone irrespective of their faith in him. God has blessed everyone with rain, sun, twenty-four hours daily, freedom of choice, etc., but some blessings cannot be accessed like the general blessing. For us to receive more of his blessings, we must do the following;

1. Salvation is vital for anyone to receive more blessings from God.
2. Righteousness (Roman 3:10): being in right standing with God is a great way to receive his blessings.
3. Faithfulness: God rewards faithfulness. Whenever you do his work faithfully, he rewards you. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
4. Diligence: Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. (Genesis 26)
5. Giving: whenever we give, we open the door to receive more from God. Giving to God and those in need around us is very important. (Luke 6:38)
6. Forgiveness helps us to receive forgiveness from God, which is a form of blessing.
7. Walking in God’s purpose for our lives opens the door to blessings.
8. We can receive God’s blessings by asking God for his blessings.
9. Reading and meditating on the word of God. (Joshua 1:8)
10. Have faith in God’s ability to bless you.
11. We can receive blessings from God through obedience to God, our parents, elders, and his word. (1 Samuel 15:22)

People God blessed in the Bible

God blessed many people in the Bible. Stories from the Bible showed the awesomeness of God and how willing he is to bless all who come to him. Some of those who received the blessings of God in the Bible include;

1. Obed-Edom (2 Samuel 6:11-15)

The story of Obed-Edom is very unique. After David became king, he wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. During the journey, he lost one of his priests. For fear of death, they dropped the Ark in the house of Obed-Edom. I believe they left the Ark there because he was considered irrelevant to the nation. Obed-Edom did not reject the Ark, but he allowed the Ark to stay in his home (the Ark of Covenant is likened to the presence of God), and he prospered. He received blessings from God in a way that the people who brought the ark to his home decided to come and take it back.

2. Peter (Luke 5: 1- 9)

Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus and a fisherman, received the blessings of God in his lifetime. Peter was in his boat fishing, and he caught nothing. He toiled all day, and his net was empty. Jesus came by to use his boat to preach to the crowd. After the preaching, Jesus directed him to cast his net into the sea; he caught so many fish that he had to call for help to bring them ashore.

How can we use the blessings of God?

Often, when we receive the blessings of God, we misuse the blessings or do not use them for the right things. God doesn’t bless us without a reason; he is a purposeful God. The first response we should have to God’s blessings is thanksgiving. Whenever God blesses us, we should glorify him and thank him for what he has done for us.

In this section, we explore some of the ways we can use the blessings of God in a way that pleases him.

• Promote the kingdom of God. (1 Peter 4:10-11)

God wants us to promote his kingdom with our blessings. His blessings are meant to advance the gospel, taking it to the ends of the earth.

• To bless others

What is the use of a blessing that does not bless others? Such a blessing is useless. It is like a river that does not flow; it stinks over time. God wants us to use our blessing to bless others.

It doesn’t matter if your blessing is a skill, talent or prosperity. Use it to bless others, and you will make God happy.

Remember the story of the rich fool who stored up wealth? (Luke 12:13-21) God was angry that he thought of only himself; he never saw it as an opportunity to bless others. The same is applicable to Nabal, the husband of Abigail (1 Samuel 25:4-39).

Your life needs to bless others, illuminating their lives with the light of Christ.

• Your family

Your family should be the first beneficiary of your blessings, whether they are believers or not. Some Christians believe in using their blessings to bless fellow believers only. Joseph is a good example, he did not reject his family when the Lord blessed him. He brought them to Egypt and save the from destruction (Genesis 45:1-28). Let your family experience the light through you.

How can I know if a blessing is from God?

The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Proverbs 10:22 KJV

Many times, Christians are in a dilemma to recognise if a blessing is from God or the devil. I have been in this dilemma many times, and I will share how I handled the thoughts. Let me give an instance; I once needed a job, and someone offered me a job, and I was very happy with the offer. The job came at a time I needed it, plus it came at a time when I doubted my ability and needed the job as a validation of my ability.

I told her I would get back to her even though I really wanted to say yes to the offer. I was happy, but something in me didn’t connect with the offer. I decided to pray about it, and I eventually refused the offer. Refusing the offer gave me more peace than accepting the offer. Maybe you are in a similar situation; here are things you can do and questions you can ask yourself.

• Does it bring peace? God is an author of blessings that give peace of mind. If there is no peace in your heart, the blessing may not be from God.
• How did I receive the blessing? Blessings that come from God will come through a godly channel. Stealing, lying, or cheating makes a blessing ungodly, even if the blessing is used for the kingdom of God.
• Pray to God for guidance.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you.

Always remember that God can bless anybody. It is important to stay humble always.

Adelekan Bolanle

Final Thoughts

God is willing to bless his children with all kinds of blessings but the key to enjoying God’s blessings is obedience.

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.

Isaiah 30:21 NLT

Are you trusting God for his blessings and you are getting discouraged? God is definitely going to bless you, keep trusting him and obeying his guidance for your life.