WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BLESS THE LORD?

And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master’s brother’s daughter unto his son. ~ Genesis 24:48

Worship is an act of homage in the presence of royality. Bowing in reverence is one such example. In the text above, Abraham’s servant declares that he worshipped and blessed the Lord.  Many of us know something about the meaning of worship, but what does it mean to bless the Lord?

There are many texts throughout the Bible which speak of blessing the Lord. For example, Psalm 63:4 says, “Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.”  In Psalm 66:8, the Psalmist says, “O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard…”

Also, consider the following from Psalms 103:

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits… ~ Psalm 103 :1-3

Blessing the Lord is not exclusive to the Old Testament. In the New Testament we find Zacharias (the father of John the Baptist) blessing the Lord as he prophesied.

And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people… ~ Luke 1:67-68

In Luke 2, we read of Simeon, an aged man who was filled with the Holy Spirit, who blessed God when he saw Jesus.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. ~ Luke 2:25-32

In his first espistle to Timothy, Paul refers to the gospel as “the glorious gospel of the blessed God”, and refers to God as the One “who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords…” ~ 1 Timothy 1:11 & 6:15

According to the scriptures, God is blessed, and can also be blessed! 

Consider the following from the book of the Revelation.

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. ~ Revelation 5:11-15

And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. ~ Revelation 7:11-12

There are many other texts that could be given, but at this point I would like to answer the question, “what does it mean to bless the Lord”?

When the Bible speaks of blessing the Lord in the Old Testament, it is often, if not always, the same word which is used when God blesses. It is a very powerful truth that we can actually “bless” the Lord in a very real and personal way. In Acts 13 the Bible speaks of those who ministered to the Lord.

As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ~ Acts 13:2

We bless the Lord when we truly worship him from the heart, and God knows who they are who are a blessing to him. True, undefiled worship is about him. It’s not about us, and it’s not about the feeling we get from the “worship experience”.

True worship is not about an experience so that we will be blessed. True worship comes from the heart that is completely taken up with him, and it is all about “blessing him!”