At the end of most church services the pastor or another leader will say a type of blessing or prayer. Some churches call this a "benediction". Benediction is a liturgical word that comes from the Latin "bene" (well) and "dicere" (speak). It is a short prayer for divine help, blessing and guidance. 

Perhaps the most famous benediction is the Aaronic benediction: May the Lord bless you and keep you; may He make His face [cause his spirit] to shine on you and be gracious to you; may He lift up His countenance [smile] on you and give you peace. —Numbers 6:22-27 (NIV) This benediction was said by actor Morgan Freeman playing the role of the President in the movie Deep Impact.

Some other examples of benedictions are:

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

1 Thess. 5:23 [NKJ]

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thess. 5:23 [NKJ]

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 Hebrews 13:20-21 [NKJ]

Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, So that you may abound in hope By the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 Romans 16:24

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

 2 John 1:3

Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

 Colossians 3:15-17

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

 Ephesians 6:23-24 [World English Bible]

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. Amen.

Or one of my favorites:

As you go on your way may Christ go with you. May he go before you to show you the way; May he go behind you to encourage you; Beside you to befriend you; Above you to watch over you; Within you to give you peace.

Have you ever thought about using a benediction in our everyday life? After spending time with friends we say simple things like "Goodbye" or "See you later."

What if we would bless them and challenge them to walk in God's Word until we see them next? 

In the ensembles I direct at church, we often end prayer-time with the words: "May the songs we sing, the words we say, and everything we do and think be honoring and glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."

That is an example of a somewhat more modern benediction. Try it sometime in your own life. As you end your small group or after coffee with another believer, challenge them (and yourself) to walk in faith through God's grace until we "meet again" whether that meeting time is here on earth or in Heaven with our Lord.

Here is a link with some great benedictions that might get you thinking of how you can bless and send.  Click Here.

Jeremiah E. Rankin and William G. Tomer

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