Everyone leaves a legacy, an inheritance…what will yours be?
It is my great desire to leave a legacy of faith in Jesus Christ, that my children will be redeemed and love their Lord and Savior. I also want them to know how much I love and trust my Savior. How can I possibly do that? It is not a promise that children will believe because their parents believe. I could teach them the Scripture day and night and that would not be a guarantee that they would believe. Even if I did everything “right” they still have the choice to believe or not. How then can I influence them the greatest?
Luke 11:5-13 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Prayer. James tells us in chapter 5 verse 16 that “the prayer of a righteous man has great power” and as we see in Jesus’ teaching above, He answers us when we pray. He listens and is influenced by our prayers. Jesus himself prayed and I do not believe that He did this only as an example for us to follow but He prayed because He needed to pray. He needed the power and the grace and the peace that comes from fellowship with the Father. If Jesus needed this, how much more do I need it! My sister relayed an observation to me that Nancy Leigh DeMoss made about Jesus. His life was full of demands. He was surrounded by needy people. They needed Him to heal them, to teach them, to feed them. Everywhere He went other people needed Him. When He got a break His body had needs and demands: eat, sleep, laugh, cry, talk. He needed to fulfill the demands of His human body. He met all of these demands without being flustered, frazzled, or frustrated. The Bible does not say how He did this but it give us a hint in Mark 1:35 “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Jesus believed that prayer was more important than sleep and he demonstrated that by praying when others were sleeping. The only conclusion I can come to is that God is powerful enough to give our bodies rest if we pray and that He is good enough to give us rest if we put Him first. If Jesus did not pray early in the morning, or late at night, when would He have time? The other times of the day people needed him. Doesn’t that sound a lot like a mom? If she’s not asleep then someone needs her.
I asked myself if I believed these verses and my answer was a resounding YES! I believe that God will answer my prayers and that He blesses persistence. I believe that there is power in prayer. I also believe that prayer is more important than sleep. (Psalm 127 says that sleep is from the Lord anyway) These truths have affected me greatly. I want to leave a legacy of prayer. When my children are grown I want them to look back and remember waking up to their mom in sweet communion with the Lord. I want them to read my prayer journals when I am with the Lord and see how I interceded for them. I want them to see also that it was not just for them that I prayed but for every small and big issue and person that concerned, or pleased me. I want them to see that the more time I spent in prayer personally the more it overflowed into my daily life and speech…and I can see that it has already begun to do that.
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