“Happy birthday” wishes sure are different these days. Once upon a time, the accepted way would be to mail a card or call the person on the phone—or both. And, sure, both of those still work, but many people today use a Facebook post, email or text.
Whatever medium you choose to wish others a happy birthday, why not make your greeting more personal and prayerful with one of these blessings? And keep in mind—each of them makes a great birthday prayer for yourself, too:
1) “Happy birthday! May the shadow of Christ fall on you. May the garment of Christ cover you. May the breath of Christ breathe in you.” (Source unknown)
2) “Happy birthday! Today and evermore, may the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” (Based on an old Irish blessing)
3) “Happy birthday! Today and every day, may the Lord bless you and keep you; may He smile on you and be gracious to you; may He look your way and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26, author’s paraphrase)
4) “Happy birthday! May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (Psalm 20:4, NIV)
5) “My birthday prayer for you: May you be filled with joy.” (Colossians 1:11b, NLT)
6) “On your special day, may the Master pour on the love so it fills your life and splashes over on everyone around you.” (adapted from 1 Thessalonians 3:12, The Message)
Here’s one more you might use if the recipient of your birthday blessing is, shall we say, of an older persuasion:
7) “May your special day fulfill God’s promise: ‘Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will sustain you, and I will rescue you.’ (Isaiah 46:4, NIV)
One of the great things about email, text and social media is that it’s easy to keep these handy on your phone or computer and copy and paste one into a birthday message to add to a friend or loved one’s celebration.
But if you have an actual birthday card handy, try writing out one of these to add to the message of the card (or, if giving a gift, write it on the tag). And if you call someone on his or her birthday (or leave a voicemail), start your message with one of these blessings, and go far beyond the usual “happy birthday” with a happy birthday prayer.
