Do you frequently use the word “blessed”?
I consider myself blessed when I find a parking place in a crowded lot, have a warm fire on a cold, winter night, or wake up to the smell of coffee in the morning.
We can list a multitude of ways God brings blessing into our lives.
The Lord gives us good things (Ps 16:2; Jas 1:17), meets all our needs (Phil 4:19), protects us (Ps 91:4), sanctifies us (Rom 8:28), and gives us peace (Phil 4:7).
God’s blessings abound, but we can’t return these favors because He needs nothing from us.
Yet, Scripture contains the concept of blessing the Lord.
How to Bless the Lord
David told the Israelites to “bless the Lord your God.” And they blessed the Lord, bowing their heads and paying homage (1 Chr 29:20).
The Hebrew word for bless is “barak,” meaning to kneel as an act of adoration.
While some Bible translations use the word “praise” instead of bless, I prefer the latter.
Here are three insights into how we can bless the Lord.
1 – Blessings are Personal
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits.” – Psalm 103:2 NASB
We may say the Lord blessed us because we see His hand upon a situation. The act feels tailored specifically for us—like an early morning sunrise after a sleepless night with a sick child.
Even though millions of people may experience the same sunrise, we feel as though the Lord sees us and provides all we need.
God’s got us, and we receive strength to meet the day. We’re blessed.
Recognizing these special moments of grace, mercy, comfort, and compassion shows God we know His character.
In that moment, gratitude flows from our hearts to God’s.
This is how we can bless the Lord.
In Psalm 103, David reminds himself to “bless the Lord” and gives a myriad of reasons why God deserves to be blessed by us:
- Forgiving our sin
- Healing diseases
- Redeeming our souls
- Demonstrating His loving kindness
- Providing satisfaction by bestowing good things
When we acknowledge God’s personal benefits, this sparks a desire to bless His name.
2 – Blessings Are Heartfelt
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.” – Psalm 103:1 NASB
Manners are taught from a young age in many cultures and are a sign of respect. We recognize the worth of another person and their status, thus honoring them.
Sometimes our conduct becomes habitual—like telling American kids to say “thank you” for a ride home from a baseball game or a cookie offered as an after-school snack.
We may use the right words without much thought, but this can nullify their meaning.
God described the Israelites as people who honored Him with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Is 29:13). God’s people were more concerned about man’s rules than honoring the Lord.
Outward appearance means nothing if our actions aren’t heartfelt (1 Sm 16:7).
We may think children who say “thank you” are polite, but these actions are hollow if they aren’t truly appreciative.
A grateful character isn’t shaped when we do things by rote.
David gave good counsel to his son, Solomon, when he told him to serve God with wholehearted devotion and a willing mind (1 Chr 28:9).
When we wholeheartedly, rather than half-heartedly, put Scripture into practice without questioning or resisting His commands, we bless God.
3 – Blessings Are Pleasing
“Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.” – Psalm 104:1 NASB
Blessing someone so superior to us is hard to imagine. But just as a child can bring a smile to her mother by handing her a flower, we can bless God by responding as His child in Christ (Jn 1:12).
If we think about blessing God as selecting a gift for Him, we may find it much easier to envision ways to bring blessing.
Scripture tells us what brings the Lord pleasure: genuine faith (Hb 11:6), obedience to God (1 Jn 3:22), and doing good and sharing (Hb 13:16).
Thankfulness points to God’s greatness.
When we magnify God, we reveal how large He really is. The Hebrew word translated “magnify” is gadal, which means “to be large.”
In Psalm 69, David writes that praising the name of God with a song or magnifying Him with thanksgiving pleases the Lord more than the sacrifice of an ox or a bull.
When God’s name is referenced in the Bible, it’s often synonymous with His character and presence. Such praise is a natural response from those who intimately know God.
Cultivate Worship by Blessing God
Blessing God is the ultimate worship because it takes the attention from ourselves and places it where it should always be—on God.
But it doesn’t come naturally.
Like David, we might need to do some self-talk (like reminding our souls to bless the Lord’s name). Then we can please God by looking for these personal, heartfelt connections with Him.
Susan Cort Johnson
Susan Cort Johnson writes as a disciple of Jesus Christ, always seeking how to walk out Scripture. She blogs at susancortjohnson.com and mini-blogs on Instagram @susancortjohnson. Email subscribers receive a monthly “Walking Paper” that provides details on how to put feet to biblical concepts, such as “how to make disciples” or “how to walk worthy of our calling.”
