I’ve been thinking a lot about Heritage lately. The vases in the pictures of my flowers are from my grandma. She went to be with Jesus last summer. As I settle fully into adulthood, I realize there are some things that I got from her that I love. She had an intense love of food and feeding people. I have both inherited her love of eating really good food and of feeding my people really good food. Somehow really good food, prepared in love, feeds the soul too. My grandma also emphatically believed that a good bath could cure anything. I always giggle when I recall the story about her recommending a nice hot bath for a broken leg. She was sure it could fix everything. There are few things that fix me like a good hot bath, though I have never tried it for a broken leg.
I love that I can remember her for these things, and that I have inherited some of her loves. They lead me to think about the things that I want my children, and grandchildren to remember about me. If I had to pick just one, who are we kidding I can’t pick just one, but I intensely want them to inherit a belief in prayer from me. It is in so many ways who I am because it has, in so many ways, made me who I am. I also need for them to think of me every time they see or smell a cup of really good coffee. It’s kind of also who I am.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Abraham. He waited for children for most of his life. What if all that time wasn’t just waiting, what if it only looked like waiting? What if those years of prayers that he poured out in faith to God for his children weren’t just for his children? God made him the father of many nations, and I believe that Abraham was unknowingly praying for years and years for those of us who would become the family of God. Just think about those years of prayers and faith stored up and multiplied by God for us. We serve a really big God, it’s consistent with His character to give Abraham the blessing of looking down from heaven now and seeing the results of those years of his prayers being poured out on us. His diligent belief in God’s blessing and promise trick down for us. If he hadn’t had so much time awaiting the blessing, think of the prayers of faith he wouldn’t have prayed.
God loves to move through the believing prayers of His children. Ephesians 1:18 tells us that He has immeasurable power for us who believe. I think our belief affects our children’s heritage just like Abraham’s did and does. I want to build a heritage of belief and prayer for and in my family. I may never understand why God had given us this great privilege, but I will not let that stop me from using it mightily.
The thing is, I don’t want this heritage limited to my own biological children, I want to leave a spiritual heritage to all the people that God brings me.Younger, older, everybody that he gives me time with. I want my belief and prayers for them to reach through generations, and I’m holding on to the belief that they do.
In Revelation 8, John gives us his vision of the prayers of the saints that are on the golden altar before the throne of God. These specific prayers of the saints have been kept waiting to be poured out on the earth at the end of time (Revelation 8). If the prayers of the saints will be instrumental in the end of time, why would they not be instrumental in our daily lives? Our prayers are collected in the throne room of God, what better way to build a heritage for the saints, the ones who live under your roof, and the ones you are blessed to be a blessing for.
What’s the heritage that you want to pass on?
What can you do today to start building it?
I’ll be posting a follow-up blog in the next few days with practical ways to build a heritage of prayer and belief in your family.
Please feel free to email me below with any questions or idea you may have.