“As we pass through this door, draw us more deeply into your presence.”
The door is one of the most important parts of our home. Through it we come and go, receive visitors and say goodbye to old friends. It is a place of sadness and joy, departures and entrances.
That is why it is a place where we should invite God’s presence, asking for his protection over it and our home.
One of the most common ways to do this is through the traditional Epiphany blessing of the home. However, that is not the only way to invoke God’s blessing upon your home and door.
Below is an alternative prayer that can be prayed by anyone, simply asking God to shower his blessings upon the primary portal of your home.
God’s peace be to this home and to all who dwell within. You, O Lord, are the beginning and the end, the alpha and omega, carefully watching over us from birth until death. Bless this door of our house and in your goodness send your holy angel from heaven to watch over and protect us, to be with us and give us comfort and encouragement.
As we pass through this door, draw us more deeply into your presence and may a spirit of humility, goodness, mildness, and gratitude prevail here.
O Lord, you are the door to eternal life, bless our entrances and exits from this home and pour out on us heavenly dew in good measure, as well as an abundance of earthly needs. At our lowly coming be pleased to bless and sanctify this home, as you once were pleased to bless the home of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Within these walls let your angels of light preside and stand watch over those who live here.
May this blessing remain on this place and on us who live here now and always. Amen.
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O heavenly Father, Almighty God, we humbly beseech Thee to bless and sanctify this house and all who dwell therein and everything else in it, and do Thou vouchsafe to fill it with all
good
things; grant to them, O Lord, the abundance of heavenly blessings and from the richness of the earth every
substance
necessary for life, and finally direct their desires to the fruits of Thy mercy. At our entrance, therefore, deign to bless and sanctify this house as Thou didst deign to bless the house of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob; and may the
angels
of Thy light, dwelling within the walk of this house, protect it and those who dwell therein. Through
Christ
our Lord. Amen.
Translated by Most Reverend J. H. Schlarman Bishop of Peoria
More Prayers as Blessings Prayers
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Two Methods:Religious BlessingSpiritual BlessingCommunity Q&A
You have finally moved into your new house. It is perfect in every single way, and you want it to stay that way. If you are a religious or spiritual person, you might find that blessing your home brings you great peace of mind and serenity. No matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs, start with Step 1 below to find out how to perform a house blessing that appeals to you.
Method 1 Religious Blessing
- Perform a Christian blessing.
The blessing of a Christian household is an ancient tradition which can be found in the Protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic churches, amongst others. The blessing may be performed by an ordained priest or pastor, or by the owner of the house themselves.
- If you would prefer to have your house blessed by an ordained priest, invite him to your house to perform the blessing, and he will be happy to oblige.
- Normally, the priest will walk from room to room, sprinkling each with holy water. As he walks, he may recite one or more passages from the holy gospel.
- If you prefer to bless the house yourself, use anointing oil (which can simply be cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, blessed by a minister) to mark a cross on each of the windows and doors inside the house.
- As you mark the sign of the cross, utter a simple prayer asking God to bless the room. For example “In the name of Jesus Christ I ask for Your peace and joy to inhabit this room,” or “May Your Holy Spirit flow through and fill this home up with Your Spirit.”
- Perform a Jewish blessing.
There are an abundance of Jewish traditions associated with moving into a new house, or simply blessing an old one.
- When moving into a new home, Jewish families are required to affix a mezuzah (parchment inscribed with Hebrew phrases from the Torah) to each of the doorways in the house.
- As the mezuzah is installed, the following prayer is recited “Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah”.
- It is also believed that Tuesday is the best day for moving into a new home, that bread and salt should be the first items to enter the house, and that shortly after moving in a Chanukat Habayit or housewarming party should be held, where friends and family gather and words of the Torah are spoken.
- During the housewarming party, it’s tradition to eat the first fruit of the new season while reciting the shehecheyanu blessing, as follows: “Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.”
- Perform a Hindu blessing.
Hindu house blessings vary greatly according to different regions. In some places the housewarming ceremony is second in importance only to a couple’s wedding day.
- However, across all regions the house blessing must be performed on the morning the homeowners move into their new home. An auspicious move-in date must be chosen by the local Hindu priest, who must also perform the ceremony.
- On the day, it is traditional (in some regions) for the homeowners to supply a gift tray or dakshina for the priest’s use throughout the ceremony. This gift tray usually contains items such as raw, washed rice, mango leaves, ghee, coins, herbs, spices, fruit and flowers, among others.
- During the ceremony, the homeowners will often sit in front of the fireplace, wearing their best clothes and repeating mantras. The priest will usually recite a prosperity prayer to the Hindu gods, asking for prosperity, purity and serenity to be bestowed upon the people of the house.
- Contact a priest at your local Hindu temple for information on how the housewarming ceremony is performed in your region.
- Perform an Islamic blessing.
Muslim people bless their house mainly by reciting prayers – usually there is no official ceremony that needs to be performed. However, certain prayers and traditions are recommended:
- Upon moving into a new house, it is a good idea to perform a two cycle prayer, asking Allah to bestow baraka (blessing), rahma, (mercy) and dhikr (remembrance) upon the home.
- You can also recite a prayer to protect your home from the evil eye and the envy of others using the following Prophetic Supplication: “I seek refuge for you in the perfect words of Allaah from every devil, harmful thing, and accusing eye.”
- It is also recommended that you invite your friends and family over for dinner, as feeding others is viewed as a charitable act, and a way of showing gratitude to Allah. At this dinner, you and your guests may recite passages from the Qur’an together.
- Aside from blessing your house when you first move in, you can also bless your house every time you step through the door using the following prayer: “I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created”. Repeating this prayer three times will ensure no harm comes to you while you are in the house.
- Perform a Buddhist blessing.
In Buddhism, a ceremony known as
Khuan Ban Mai is performed (in certain regions) when a new house is built to protect the house and its inhabitants. The ceremony is performed by a group of nine monks, who must be invited to the house early on the morning of the ceremony.
- The monks then perform a ritual involving sacred lustral water and wax candles. As the wax melts and drops into the water, it is believed to wash away evil and sorrow.
- The monks also chant prayers in the Pali language, while passing a white string through each of their hands. The vibrations from the chanted prayers are believed to pass through the string, protecting the houses and its inhabitants.
- After the ceremony, the monks sit down to a meal prepared by the host family and their friends and neighbors.They must finished their meal before noon. Then one monk sprinkles holy water in each of the rooms of the house, before they all leave.
- Once the monks leave, the rest of the guests sit down to eat the remaining food. In the afternoon, they perform the thread ceremony, where the guests wrap a white thread around the homeowners and offer them their blessing.
Method 2 Spiritual Blessing
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Clean and de-clutter your home. It is important to clean and de-clutter your home before you perform a house blessing. This will put you in a more positive frame of mind and invite fresh energy into the home.
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Invite friends and family. It’s a nice idea to invite friends and family to share in the house blessing ritual with you. Ask them to stand in a circle and join hands.
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Light a pink candle. Pink symbolizes love and kindness, and will invite these energies into your home.
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Share blessings. Pass the pink candle to each person in the circle. Whoever is holding the candle should share their blessings for the home and homeowners. Example blessings include “may this home be a sacred dwelling for you and your family” or “may those who enter this home feel peace and love”.
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Walk to each room of the house and state your intention for it. After the blessing, you may want to carry the pink candle into each room of the house and state your intention for it, whether it’s the bedroom, the baby’s room or the kitchen.
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Allow the pink candle to burn for an hour. When the ceremony is complete, place the pink candle in a central location in the house and allow it to burn for at least an hour.
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Open all East-facing doors and windows. This allows the life-giving energy of the sun to stream into your home, bringing energy, life and light.
Community Q&A
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Question
What type of blessing is it when someone walks around a home a few times sprinkling salt or sand?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Salt covenant. It’s a Christian house blessing, wherein you walk the perimeter of your yard or house with kosher salt and ask for protection and anything else for your home.
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Question
Can I use a white candle instead of pink?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Yes, white is a good color to attract positive energy to the house.
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Question
What can I do if I feel my house is haunted?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Any of the blessings or rituals stated above, usually through an ordained minister or priest with holy water or anointed oil.
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Question
Do I have to pay for a house blessing?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Usually you do not have to pay for a house blessing but in some cases you may have the option to give an offering in exchange for a blessing.
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Question
Is it true that I can bless my apartment with my family members, if a clergy member is not available at the time needed?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Anyone can bless their home. Religious clergy is not required to bless your home. We were all created by the same creator who created the religious clergy. Therefore all of the creators creations are holy.
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Question
Can I do it on my own?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
Not if you are Orthodox Christian or Roman Catholic. Other faith traditions (and even other Christian traditions) may not require a priest or minister’s presence.
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Question
Can old carpet and flooring be blessed or should it be removed?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
A home can be blessed in any condition, but for safety and appeal, old carpet and flooring should be replaced to create a most positive atmosphere.
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Question
How do I bless my children to so that no harm comes to them?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
You can bless your children to help them get away from harm if it comes their way, but they cannot entirely avoid harm. Everyone suffers, and everyone will have personal struggles. The best thing is to be there for them and pray every night for God to bless them and give them the strength and hope to get through the next day.
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Question
How often should a house be (re)blessed? Negative energy and dark spirits seem to be getting back in after about two years of blessing it.
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
You should re-bless when you feel negativity is making its way back into your home or if a visit from someone has left your home with a feel of negativity.
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Question
Who do I contact to have a new home opening ceremony to have my house blessed?
wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
You may contact your local church and request a priest to bless your house.
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Tips
- You might like to put in some holy pictures into your house.
- It would also be very fitting to have a little party afterwards to celebrate the blessing.
- Smudging is also a great way to increase positive energy in your home. You need a sage smudge stick (or other variation of a smudge stick but sage is most common) and to burn and wave the smoke throughout the entire home.
- The Spanish have an old custom of hanging crosses above bedroom doors, to scare away evil spirits and protect the people in the house. If you are Christian, this is a good idea, if you live in a house with a painful past.
Things You’ll Need
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Holy water (optional)
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Scripture (optional)
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A rosary chaplet or any other kind of prayer beads (optional)
Article Info
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Instructions:
- What you will need to accomplish both, are water, bergamot oil, squirt bottle and a sage smudge stick. In order to cleanse your home, I would get the squirt bottle and fill it with Holy Water and five to seven drops of Bergamot Oil.
- Holy Water is easy to make. One of the more simpler ways to make it, is to say a prayer over the water as it is entering the bottle. The prayer should be of one of love and purity. (ex.- , please bless this water as I so bless it.) Bergamot is an herb with strong protection properties.
- Once you have the mixture ready, pick a room to start in. Always move clockwise within the rooms and within your house. Before you start, say this prayer, , please bless this house as I so bless it.” Then moving clockwise around the room, and from room to room, say the prayer: “I bless this house, I bless this space” as you are going about your house. When you have finished with all of the rooms in your home, you are done. You have now cleansed and blessed your home.
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