Sunday, December 21, 2014

Morton Family Christmas Prayer - 2014

Dear Lord,

Legacies. With the loss that this family has endured this year, it’s a word that means a little something more this holiday season. I believe it to mean what you leave behind. With some it might be wealth. For some, it might be grand ideas. With your Son, it was salvation. For some, it is family… with a set of values that provide a sense of doing what’s right, standing by your convictions and providing an example for everyone on every branch of the family tree to model.

Lord, some people might think of a legacy as something only extremely wealthy or extremely influential or extremely saintly people can hope to leave. That’s unfortunate, as I think everyone leaves a legacy of one kind or another and it’s up to us to decide what we want it to be and whether we want to ask from guidance from above for direction.

Lord, guide us in shaping our own spiritual legacy. We all have a spiritual impact on our family, our community, and, through service or giving or prayer, on people around the world and in future generations. Our Nana was a shining star example.

I think the best spiritual legacy we might leave is living in the moment. And how we might let God to work through us if He chooses.

We know that God alone can change the course of actions here on earth– and we pray today for the salvation of people around the world, for social ills…and moral decline… we pray that God will hear us tonight and answer our prayers in ways only He can do.

But I also pray that you may provide a path of light so that we may travel down a path of making positive change in this world ourselves. I wish tonight for us all to use the example of those that have come before us and consciously design legacies of our own… legacies that include the betterment of the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of our family, friends, acquaintances and beyond. If God chooses for His own reasons to work through the prayers of His people, as the Bible says He does, then may we pray tonight that our spiritual legacies provide a living and breathing example of all that is good and right while we are here on earth.

Let us showcase the love that we have for one-another, go out of our way to lend a helpful hand, make decisions that are the right ones, (even thought they might not be the popular ones), have mercy and forgiveness, give your time, share your faith and most importantly, open your heart. Let us think about our impact around others often and help us provide a myriad of ways we can all have spiritual impact and leave that impactful spiritual legacy. Each of us is uniquely situated to do the specific work God has ordained for us. While we long for those that are missing here tonight, isn’t it amazing that a single lifetime can exude such an amazing loving legacy that will continue to leave and breathe inside each of us in our lifetimes and beyond?

THAT is an amazing spiritual legacy. What will yours be?

Amen

No comments:

Post a Comment