This is the Heritage of the Servants of the Lord

Isaiah 54:17 says....."This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me, declares the Lord." After a conversation with someone at church last night, I began thanking God for the heritage that I have been given.

I am a very blessed to have been raised in an awesome Christian home by two perfectly wonderful parents. They have always been a godly example to me and my sister. I also had great grandparents. I am a third generation A/G on my mom's side. My paternal grandparents were wonderful Christians as well.

My maternal grandmother lived in a small town in Eastern Arkansas - the flat lands where the mosquitoes rule. She had a huge influence on my prayer life. My sister and I would go stay a week with her and grandpa during the summer months. The intellectual side of my brain tells me we never stayed more than a week or two, but my childhood memories tell me we spent our entire summers there. I will share some of those "memories" with you....

The old porch door squeaked before the thud of it's slam broke the evening silence. Silence - other than the drones of the hoards of mosquitoes in the air. Thus, the reason for the "thud"- you had to let the door slam behind you quickly so mosquitoes wouldn't get in the house. If they got in the house, then they would suck all your blood out at night while you slept! :)

It was the aroma coming from grandma's kitchen that brought me in. Mmmmmmm- It must be chicken-n-dumplins! Of course there would also be the freshly picked tomatoes from grandpa's garden and other wonderful goodies from the ground.

After supper was the traditional grandpa and granddaughter time on the swing- on the screened in porch, away from mosquitoes. But- if any of them, by any chance got in, grandpa zapped 'em with his rusted old can of mosquito spray. He whistles as he fiddles with his knife. "Time for you girls to learn how to whistle!" The lessons go on for a while.

As the sun starts to set, grandma announces it is bath time, then bed time. I don't know why we have to take baths, we just sweat all over again as soon as we get out. The humidity is like its own shower. For some reason, it just seems quiter at grandma and grandpa's house, except for the buzz of the mosquitoes!

I like it when it gets dark, because the house gets cooler. The blue room is where we sleep. The blue walls and the white bedspread are so peaceful, it is easy to go to sleep even though it is still very humid and my hair sticks to my head.

It's not long until grandpa is snoring, and that's when I know I get to hear her! I try to stay awake so I can listen. There she goes. The bathroom door quietly opens and closes. Then grandma begins her nightly ritual of interceding on behalf of all of her loved ones.

She starts with her oldest daughter and her boys. She prays over everything! Next is my favorite part, because that's my mom and us! She talks to Jesus like He is right there with her. I know exactly where she is, because I tiptoed the night before to peek. She kneels over the closed toilet, with her face to the wall, so she won't wake up grandpa. She's praying for me and Tammie, my sister. She prays for our schooling, our walk with Jesus, that we will love the Bible, that we will always be good girls. Then she starts the part I like - my future! She prays for the man I will marry, that he will be good to me and love the Lord, that he will be a good worker and take care of me. She prays for my kids that I will one day have that they will also love Jesus.

She moves on the her youngest daughter and I drift off to sleep wondering what my life will be like. Who is this man grandma prays for? Why does she think it is so important to pray for all off this stuff when I am only 8?!!!!

Hmmmmm.... That is just a small portion of my heritage. How rich and wonderful!
Revelation 5:8 ".....Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls ful of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."
Revelation 8:3 "Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire frfom the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake."

I didn't realize it then, but I was being handed on a silver platter an in-depth training on "how to pray". My grandmother didn't learn how to read until she was over 60 years old, but she was more knowledgable about God's Word than I could ever hope to be. My other grandmother was a lover of God's Word. She was a great inspiration also. Of course, I am not including here, my heritage of my parent's continually taking us before the throne of God in prayer. I am blessed! I thank God for my parents and my grandparents.

I pray for my children Isaiah 59:21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the Lord. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,"says the Lord."

May you all have a blessed and wonderful day as you seek the face of your Savior!

Love you all!
dorinda

(Make sure you take time to teach your children and grandchildren how to pray.) :)