Acts 13:36 NIV
“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.”
INSIGHT
-Legacy is written as Cheleq in Hebrew and Kleronomos in Greek which translates to estate, inheritance, property, will, heritage, bequest, tract, history, and impact. David was a great national leader. He fought many battles and conquered all having been anointed by God as king in Israel. Some of his victories are listed below. David attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines. He then defeated Moab, and the Moabites became his servants, and brought tribute. He also defeated Hadadezer king of Zobah as far as Hamath, as he went to establish his power by the River Euphrates. When the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David killed twenty-two thousand of the Syrians. King David dedicated all articles of gold and silver, to the Lord that he had brought from all these nations. The Lord preserved him wherever he went. So David reigned over all Israel, and administered judgment and justice to all his people (1 Chronicles 18:1-14). David was a man after God’s own heart and served God’s purpose in his generation. Like his father David, Solomon did not consider wealth, power, honor, peace, long life and destruction of his enemies as more vital than the ability to serve his purpose. When he was given a blank cheque, he asked God for a discerning heart to govern His people and distinguish between right and wrong. His request pleased the Lord and He gave him wisdom and all the other things (1 Kings 3:8-13). We have seen some national leaders who have left no legacy having served the people for a long time. They have misappropriated public funds and killed innocent lives. Others have done well and have fought for the well being of their fellow countrymen like Nelson Mandela. Each one of us has a purpose to fulfill here on earth. It is imperative to seek God and ask what is our purpose on earth, as we seek for wisdom to accomplish our God given mandates.
PRAYER
We appreciate You Lord God Almighty for You are awesome in wonder and faithful in love. We bless Your name for great are Your purposes and mighty are Your deeds. Great are Your purposes in all the earth. Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind; You reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. May You forgive us dear Jesus where we have failed and wash us with Your precious blood. May You grant all our leaders wisdom so that they may serve all people with fairness, equity, justice and love. May You enable us to serve Your purposes Lord in our generation for the glory and honor of Your name. Amen
Further reading: Proverbs 19:21, Jeremiah 32:19
Proverbs 22:6 NKJV
“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
INSIGHT
-Leave a godly legacy for your children. Have you ever asked yourself what legacy will you leave for your children? We are called to leave a godly legacy to our children through training in the ways of our God. Parents and guardians are custodians of their children and should train them on the word of God, prayer and fasting, worship, thanksgiving, and most importantly through their own conduct. Some children mimic their drunk and promiscuous parents. Others take up after their Christlike parents and guardians. Even though Eli was a priest of the Most High God, his children were corrupt and did not know the Lord (1 Samuel 2:12). He did not leave a godly legacy for them and they departed from the ways of the Lord. On the other hand, Timothy received the faith that was in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice, possibly through imputation by the laying of hands (2 Timothy 1:5-6). Parents are reminded to pray for their children and bless them constantly. Also to have a time of family prayer and fellowship often. Coupled with a godly heritage, parents and called to leave an inheritance not only to their children, but to their generations also (Proverbs 13:22). Lastly, to discipline their children out of love (Proverbs 13:24).
PRAYER
Children are a heritage from You LORD, offspring a reward from You. We thank You Abba Father for the gift of children that You have released unto us, and given us. We praise You Jehovah for Your great and wonderful love upon us. We pray that You may show them Your everlasting love and teach them Your ways. We pray for Your blessings upon them. May You bless them and increase them, in every sphere of their lives. We pray for the gift of children upon all those who are waiting on You that Your hand of grace may be upon them all. We pray for wisdom that we may be able to raise our children and discipline them with diligence according to Your great love. May Your help us Holy Spirit to raise a godly seed in them for the glory and honor of Your name. We declare that they shall not be lost into drugs, alcoholism, same sex marriages, sexual immorality, secularism, idolatry, rebellion to their parents, and other evil vices. Our children belong to You Lord Jesus. We pray for the gift of salvation upon them merciful Savior. May You allow them and our entire generations to know You and abide in You Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Genesis 49:1-28, Matthew 19:13-14
Matthew 25:21 NIV
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”
INSIGHT
-Leave a legacy by faithfully serving your God given purpose. The parable of the talents illustrates different gifts and abilities that the Lord has bestowed unto us. One person was entrusted with five talents and he/she delivered five more. Another was given two talents and he doubled his output. The last one was given one talent but he dug it under the earth, and yielded no return. The first two were faithful in little things and they were given charge of more things to handle, and granted entrance into eternity. The last person lost his one talent to the one with ten, when he did not deliver any return on investment, and was thrown out into the outer darkness. Performing one’s purpose reveals the righteous requirement that the Lord desires us to accomplish according to His plan for our lives, set before the foundations of the world. God created us to do good works that He prepared us to do in advance by His grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). True success is becoming all that God wants you to be. Unfortunately many people pass on before they even know why they lived. Their God given purposes remain unaccomplished and therefore handed over to another. May the Lord help us to know and accomplish His divine purposes here on earth.
PRAYER
Almighty Father, we adore You and praise You for who You are and for all You have done. Father we thank You for all that You continue to do and plan for us. Thank You for You have a good future for us and our whole lives are in Your hands. Oh Lord, You knew us even before we were formed in our mothers wombs. We praise You for You know our purposes and have always empowered us to succeed in all that we do. Dear Lord may You guide our paths and reveal to us Your purposes. Holy Spirit may You fill us with Your gifts and empower us to fulfill all that You have planned for our lives. May You release more grace upon us and teach us Your ways. Oh Lord may You forgive us where we have disobeyed You and not followed Your will. May You forgive us where we have been stiff-necked people and cleanse us with Your precious blood dear Jesus. We commit our lives in Your hands and we surrender to Your will. May all churches and ministries draw strength from You and surrender to Your will. Thank You for loving and choosing us. Thank You dear Lord for this far. We pray this believing and trusting in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Further reading: Luke 16:9-11
Acts 9:36-40 NKJV
“At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.”
INSIGHT
–Leave a legacy through good works. Tabitha was a prominent business lady who lived in Joppa a docking port. It is the same place where Jonah boarded a ship to Tarshish (Jonah 1:3). Tabitha was prominent in doing good works. By performing works of charity, one touches the hearts of many and leaves an enduring mark in their lives. When Tabitha passed on, there was a great outcry in the city and the people called for Peter to perform a miracle by the grace of God, and bring her back. It is only inherent in such good works of love that people will miss you and your impact in their lives immediately after death. We see great men and women like Martha Teresa and other philanthropists who passed on and are still remembered today for the impact they caused in other peoples lives. Cornelius the Italian Regiment was also prominent in performing good works of charity. He also feared the Lord and prayed always. The Lord answered his prayers and received his alms, and released unto him and his household the gift of salvation (Acts 10). Whatever good works we do to the least of our brethren, we do it unto the Lord and not man (Matthew 25:40). The legacy we leave is as a result of how we live and the people we impact in the society. Works of charity and other good works should be founded on the love of God, so as to leave a lasting mark in the hearts of men, for the glory of God.
PRAYER
Abba Father we appreciate You for You are our great I AM. None can compare to You. You have loved us with great love, that You send Your only begotten Son, that we may believe in Him and have eternal life. Thank You Father for loving us. May You fill our hearts with Your fruit of love Holy Spirit that we love You and one another more deeply. That we may care for the needs of the less fortunate and those who need us most. May You fill our hearts with compassion and empower us to do good works for the glory and honor of Your name. May You remember all those who are sick and suffering, all the less fortunate that You may be their ever present help in their time of need. May You remember all those who are jobless that You may empower them economically dear Jesus. May You bless all the business people and those who are employed that You may expand their boundaries merciful Savior. May You bless us dear Jesus and do a new thing in our lives for Your namesake. We worship You Lord and exult Your name now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 112:9
John 17:3-4 NKJV
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”
INSIGHT
-Jesus had a unique assignment to perform on earth for the sake our redemption and glorification of the Father. He also came so that we may know Him, worship Him and then ascended into heaven for us to have communion with the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit calls us to have a personal encounter with Him. To pursue intimacy with Him as we know Him more and encounter Him in our lives. All this can be achieved by the help of the Holy Spirit. We are called to ask ourselves what do we live for, and what would we die for. Apostle said that, “for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
SUMMARY
As one writes their autobiography which maps their life, they should consider the legacy outlined therein. A critical question to ask oneself is what would be write your eulogy? The structure is clear from the funerals that we have attended. We find the deceased date of birth, place of birth, family members, education, career, marriage and/or family, spiritual life if any, accomplishments etc. This is the account of one’s life and it reveals the legacy they have left. A legacy is your mark, footprint and contribution to the world. We have sighted several chapters of the Bible that outline the genealogy of various people beginning from Adam in Genesis chapter 5 to Jesus in Matthew chapter 1. We also find the patriarchs of faith in Hebrews chapter 11. All these things point to Christ. One’s legacy therefore should bring glory to God. We are called to serve our God given purposes in leadership as David did as a national leader (Acts 13:36). Secondly, to leave a legacy to our children through training them in the ways of the Lord and when they grow up they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6). Also, to leave an inheritance to our children’s for the generations to come (Proverbs 13:22). Thirdly, to leave a legacy in our areas of calling and mandate by serving God faithfully through our gifts and abilities (Matthew 25:14-30). Fourthly, to leave a legacy through diverse good works including the work of charity. Lastly, to plant a seed of faith through spreading the good news of Jesus Christ in our families, communities, and areas of influence for the glory of God (Mark 16:15). It is vital to do a self assessment and ask God to help you as you fulfill your God given purpose so that you can die empty, by fighting the good fight, keeping the faith and finishing your race (2 Timothy 4:7). It is imperative to build a legacy that people around you and those who will come after you, will be proud of based on the fear of God and for His glory.
PRAYER
As a deer pants for streams of water so our souls thirsts for You Lord our God. Lord we thank and worship. We adore You Lord our God Almighty. You are the Living Word. You are the Light of our salvation. We worship You and give You praise. This far we have seen Your hand of mercy and grace working in us. May You make a way for us even where there seems to be no way. May You help us Holy Spirit to accomplish all that You have called us to do, for the glory and honor of Your name. May You walk with us and teach us Your way of eternal life. May Your revival take place in our nation and other nations of the world for Your glory Lord. May You bless us LORD and keep us. May You make Your face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May You lift up Your countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen
Further reading: John 14:6, Matthew 9:37