Asking For God’s Smile Of Favor

May the LORD bless you

and protect you.

May the LORD smile on you

and be gracious to you.

May the LORD show you his favor

and give you his peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

The power of a smile is real—it expresses love, affection, approval, and support. In this blessing that God himself gave to Moses, the Lord taught Moses and the Levites to pray for his favor. The Levites would pronounce the blessing on the Israelites, and God would carry out what the Levites had said. In other words, God was teaching Moses and the Levites to pray that God might smile on his people. What a picture of God! He teaches us to ask him to smile on us. He wants us to ask him to protect and bless us.

Take the words of this ancient, God-given prayer, and use it to pray for someone you know.

• Dear Lord, please smile on . . .