December 18, 2025

Introduction

Today, I’m blessing you with a powerful Christmas post from our friend Cheryl Sacks. The insights she offers could most certainly shape the destiny of someone you love. Enjoy.

The Best Gift You Can Give This Christmas

Christmas awakens something deep in us—not just warm memories, but a longing to give the people we love something meaningful. Not another sweater. Not another gadget. Something with weight. Something that lasts.

What if one of the greatest gifts you could give this Christmas doesn’t come wrapped in paper or tied with ribbon?

What if the most powerful gift you can give your children, grandchildren, spiritual sons and daughters, or anyone God has placed in your life, is your blessing?

Long before angels announced good news or shepherds ran to a manger, God Himself modeled this gift. Scripture says, “And God blessed them…” (Genesis 1:28). Blessing was His first act toward humanity—and it is still one of the greatest expressions of His heart.

And today, He invites us to partner with Him in giving that same gift.

Blessing Is God’s Heart

Years ago, as I walked my living room floor praying for my husband, Hal, and our young daughter, something unexpected happened. My usual requests began to shift. Suddenly, instead of asking, I began blessing.

“I bless Hal to be a faithful husband and attentive father—to walk in the fullness of his calling. I bless him with supernatural favor before leaders and gatekeepers, with peace that guards his heart and mind.” My voice grew stronger as I turned to Nicole. “I bless my daughter with joy that springs up like a fountain, with angelic protection, healthy friendships, and a heart that runs hard after God all the days of her life.”

It felt as though heaven entered the room, and the Lord Himself was leading my words. His face seemed to shine toward me. In that moment, I realized: blessing is God’s language. It is His idea. His way.

Throughout Scripture, blessing shaped destinies. Abraham blessed Isaac. Isaac blessed Jacob. Jacob blessed his sons. And their blessings always came to pass. Blessing is more than encouragement— it is a spiritual impartation—words carrying God’s authority, energized by His Word, spoken in His name, releasing His life over another person.

Why Blessing Matters Today

In a world saturated with criticism, comparison, and words that wound, blessing has become rare. Yet it is one of the most life-shaping forces we can release. A blessing isn’t something we simply feel in our hearts—it’s something we speak.

Simple, yet powerful words like, “You are cherished… You are strong and steady… You bring joy wherever you go… You are protected, chosen, and deeply loved,” breathe identity and destiny into a person’s heart.

The Consequences of Withholding Blessings

Many parents and grandparents love deeply but unknowingly withhold the very blessing their children crave. Not out of lack of love, but lack of time, lack of modeling, or simply never having received the blessing themselves.

But Scripture shows us that long silences create openings for the enemy:

• Words unspoken can feel like rejection

• Silence can crush hope

• Lack of blessing creates insecurity, fear, and confusion

• Hearts can close, and even generational blessings can be hindered

A child—or adult—who never receives blessing will look for affirmation elsewhere, often in destructive places. But the opposite is also true: A spoken blessing can break shame, heal wounds, and set a life on a new trajectory.

When we bless someone, three things begin to move in the Spirit:

The Power of Our Words

“Life and death are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). Words aren’t empty—they are containers of spirit. They can bless or curse. Lift a heart or crush it.

The Power of God’s Word

When what we speak agrees with what He has spoken, His power flows through our words—like lightning precisely conducted through a rod—penetrating hearts, breaking lies, and restoring truth.

The Power of His Name

In Numbers 6, God promised that when His priests blessed in His name, He Himself would bless them. And today, in Christ, we stand in that same authority.

Blessing Is Not Earned—It Is Given by Faith

You may wonder, “Should I bless someone who is selfish or rebellious?”The answer to this question is an emphatic—Yes!

Blessing is not a reward for good behavior. It is a prophetic declaration of God’s desire for someone’s future. We cannot confuse the word bless with the word praise—because those who need blessing the most—are the ones who deserve praise the least. We bless not because of who others are, but because of who God intends them to be.

Blessing When You Don’t Feel Like It

You may feel you can’t speak a blessing over a child, parent, or sibling because you’ve waited too long. Relationships may be strained or broken. Don’t let this stop you. When you gather this Christmas season, look for an opportunity to speak a blessing. If there has been a breach, anger, or bitterness, take the first step—reach out. Sometimes it feels impossible. But God often meets us in the very moment we choose obedience.

I think of a young woman named Karan who lived for years with deep anger and bitterness toward her ex-husband. Christmastime was particularly difficult when she had to surrender her three boys to him and his new wife for the holidays. One Christmas Eve, as she was begrudgingly preparing her children for their holiday visit, she cried out to the Lord to deliver her from bitterness.

“Give him the china,” she sensed the Holy Spirit say.

When he left, her husband had taken half of their china to his new home. Now Karan sensed God telling her to wrap up her half, write “Merry Christmas” on the box, and send it along with the children as a gift.

As she placed the package in her children’s arms, the burden of anger and resentment miraculously lifted. Her bitterness was replaced with heartfelt compassion and a desire to pray for her ex-husband with her children and to bless him. That moment of freedom opened the way for her children to release their own bitterness and rebuild a loving relationship with their father.

A single act of obedience opened the door for blessing—and blessing opened the door for freedom.

This Christmas, Give the Gift That Lasts

As families gather, as children come home, as some feel the sting of loneliness—let’s recover this ancient, biblical practice. Though parents and grandparents carry unique authority, every believer can bless others—neighbors, friends, coworkers, youth, and children God brings across our path. Some adults who never received a blessing at home say they received it from a coach, a teacher, a youth leader, or a spiritual parent.

A blessing is simple. It can be spoken with a hand on the shoulder, through a text or card, around a dinner table, when you tuck your child into bed, or say goodnight to your spouse. But its impact? It can shape a destiny. Heal a wound. Break a cycle. Launch a calling.

Who might Holy Spirit be calling you to reach out to and bless? You may be the only person in someone’s entire life who ever speaks their God-given destiny over them. This Christmas, let’s not just give gifts that last a few weeks or years; let’s give a gift that echoes into eternity.

Pray with me:

Father, thank You for blessing us with Your love, Your nearness, and Your Son. Anoint our words today. Forgive us for speaking carelessly or withholding blessing. This Christmas season, help us speak life.

We bless our loved ones with the assurance of Your love. We bless them with wisdom, peace, and protection. We bless them with the ability to hear Your voice and walk in their purpose. We bless them with favor—with You and with others. May our mouths be fountains of blessing, filled with grace, truth, and love.

Our decree:

We decree that this Christmas season, we will use our words to bless and not to wound. That life will flow from our mouths, shaping destinies and healing hearts. We decree that the Spirit of God will anoint our blessing, and generations will be transformed. We decree that the blessing of the Lord will rest on our homes, our children, and all whom God has entrusted to us. We choose to bless. And heaven will bless through us.

Click on the link below to watch the full video.

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Today’s post was contributed by our Cheryl Sacks. She is the author of six books, including her latest, Fire on the Family Altar: Experience the Holy Spirit’s Power in Your Home, available at fireonthefamilyaltar.com or on Amazon