Priesthood Blessings

[LT04]

Hey all,

I can only count the times I have had to give a blessing of any kind on one hand. I was asked to give one this afternoon and therefore have been getting in the frame of mind to do so. I know most of your posts won't make it here before I have to leave, but I was wondering what do you other priesthood holders do to prepare for a blessing? Do you have any riturals unique to you? Do you have a book you refer to? Do you require any period of time before you give a blessing (if possible)? I'm just wondering, thanks for your input.

-LT04

[Palerider]

I try to give myself about 10-15 minutes of time to just sit and think...ponder....might even listen to some Church Music....I love the Choir and love to listen to them.

[sixpacktr]

I have found that most people will give you some time to prepare. I try to get my mind in the right frame, and say a silent prayer to ask for guidance. I have also found that I need to "dress the part". My mother actually taught me a valuable lesson many years ago. My wife was in the middle of a miscarriage, we were fresh out of BYU and I had no job and we had no money. I gave my wife a blessing, still wearing my jeans and pull over shirt. When I was done (my dad helped) my mom took me aside and said "didn't your father teach you better than that?" I was a little shocked. Then she said "he always dressed the part when he gave a blessing: white shirt and tie". Then I remembered, and have ever since. No matter what the time or circumstances (unless life threatening, obviously), I have taken the time to "dress the part", whether it be blessings for health, blessings to send my girls back to school, whatever. I had a HT family whose father/husband was not a member that I was priviledged to get many blessings to, and no matter when they called (one night it was around 11:30 because of sickness) I dressed up.

That isn't to brag, but it reminded me of my authority and in who's name I was acting, and set me in the right frame of mind.

FWIW...

[BenRaines]

six,



I have always done the same.



I remember a story once told by a General Authority. I may have been Elder Packer. He had been called, many years ago, to give a blessing. He arrived the next day to give the blessing and the person who had called him got after him for taking so long to get there to perform this blessing. He went on to teach that this thing, healing, comes about by must fasting and prayer. He had spent from the time he had recieved the call to prepare himself to give a blessing that the Lord would give by fasting and praying in preparation to give the blessing.



Again as said by sixpacktr depends on the needed urgency of the blessing.



Ben Raines

[LT04]

Wow good insight,

I always "dress the part" as well. Here's a question for any takers after taking the steps for going into the right frame of mind also after the prerequwesit part of announcing the persons full name, who's authority and what the blessing is for and applying oil (if required) and before the part where you say I seal this blessing upon you in the name of Jesus Christ amen. I tend to have this long and dreadful awkward silence before the words come out. The person receiving the blessing tends to raise an eyebrow in anticipation, with huge beads of sweat rolling down my forehead onto my face, then I hear an unsettling clearing of the throat again by the person receiving the blessing as they lean an ear upward wondering if I'm speaking and they just can't hear it. And if you have any one assisting they they say "go ahead elder" I feel like saying you'll have to waite just a minute the Holy Spirit took longer in getting here than I did.

What do I do about these blessing gitters? Am I the only one who gets these? If you have had them or still get them how do you over come them?

-LT04