Numbers 6:24-26:
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

Maswali:

What does it mean to “make His face shine upon you”?

How can you use these words as a blessing in your prayer life? (Think of someone you are praying for)

I looked at the meaning of key words in each of these verses:

Bless

A prayer that God will favour you with all you need in this earthly life – to do His will and live with the joy and contentment He has planned for you, whatever the circumstances where you are placed.

Keep

That God will keep you in faith, and also with the life He gives each day, and that He will provide sufficient health and safety to do all the things He has assigned to you.

Make His face shine

In Old Testament times, people could not look upon God and live – the contrast between mankind’s fallen state of sin, and God’s perfect righteousness and holiness was so extreme that it was fatally overwhelming for the human condition to see in its full impact.
But through the miracle of Jesus dying on the cross for our sin, and his resurrection, we are judged as righteous before God, and that fatal gulf has been removed. We now know the joy and warmth of God’s presence with us through the light of His son Jesus, who lives in us through His Holy Spirit.

That is life-transforming. To truthfully see the fallen state of our world and humanity leads to despair, but by the grace of God we are given every reason for hope and serene contentment in Jesus.

Be Gracious

This means we don’t get what we deserve, neither now nor in the future day of judgement.

Lift up His countenance

A repetition and reinforcement of “Make His face shine”.

Peace

The peace God gives does not depend on external circumstances, it is a peace that is beyond the conditions of this world, an infinite peace beyond space and time that only God can give. It will last forever, it comes from being in His presence, now and forever.

In My Prayer Life

As this is all related to the gospel of Jesus, my prayer life needs to focus on the need for people to know this good news, on how can I get that message through to people.

I am grateful to sometimes receive encouragement in those efforts, yet we may never see results related to our efforts as it is not us but the Holy Spirit who brings people to faith.

It is also encouraging to see people who scatter seeds of the gospel in the chaos of modern society. I recall a hauntingly beautiful song by Enya called “How can I keep from singing” (link to song), and it describes a timeless inner joy and calm which is given regardless of life’s pain and suffering, a joy that cannot but burst out in song. It’s based on a very old hymn, and these are the original lyrics:

1 My life flows on in endless song,
above earth’s lamentation.
I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Refrain:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Love is lord of heav’n and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

2 Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]

3 What though my joys and comforts die,
I know my Saviour liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth. [Refrain]

4 The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]