Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/6940

6940 God’s blessing for every action.... Marriages....

October 9, 1957: Book 74

All blessings have to come from God Himself in order to take effect. A human being’s blessing will only ever be a ‘blessing’ for another person when God is called upon, that is to say when this blessing is given in His name. And therefore you humans may also contact Him yourselves if you want to receive His blessing because your plea that God should sanction your planned action will also gain you His caring help in every situation of life. God has indeed chosen His servants on earth who shall impart on His behalf the gift He Himself wants to give to people.... who speak to people on His behalf since He cannot speak to them Himself due to their freedom of will. And His representatives are also able to implore God to bless his fellow human being, to direct the results of his actions such that they will benefit the person. But this is entirely under God’s control, hence only God alone can give His blessing and the human being can only do so on His behalf, with other words in the name of God. This is why every human being is also able to request God’s blessing for his undertaking without those whose office makes them feel entitled to give blessings. Because much of it is a mere formality, and the inner state of mind is not greatly observed anymore. A person with an inner connection to God will no longer do anything without first having prayed for God’s blessing, and God’s blessing will also be assured to him....

However, the conferring of blessings which has become a formality, which is mechanically carried out, which is tied to customs, will always just remain a formality and have little effect on people, or many things which will never correspond to God’s will would have to find God’s approval. For instance, formal marriage ceremonies are also blessed, for which God would not give His approval and which He would prevent if He did not observe the free will of people. Marriages take place for worldly, materialistic reasons which do not deserve the description of ‘marriage’.... Unions are entered into which do not show the prerequisites required for a good marriage before God.... However, the blessing of the church is not denied to such unions, but whether God Himself will bless such a marriage remains to be seen.... even though an ecclesiastical blessing need not always be ineffective, when both the person conferring the blessing as well as the recipient have established sincere contact with God, thus when God Himself is petitioned for His blessing by all participants. Hence only this sincere contact with God is decisive as it proves the human being’s willingness to be blessed by Him. God will always be ready to direct everything for the benefit of a person’s soul, and He will also know how to direct worldly events such that they result in a blessing for him, if the person prays for God’s blessing himself.

But people’s entirely unblessed beginnings will not result in much benefit, just as the purely formal blessing cannot be considered a divine privilege, a ‘blessing of God’. Only what is prayed for spiritually and in truth and carried out can be of value.... that is why every heartfelt prayer for God’s blessing will be granted because it is God’s will that the person should enter into heartfelt union with Him and his blessing will only evolve from this bond....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna