Enhancing My Legacy Through Prayer

Praying for “You Incorporated” – Part 9

The Business of Prayer – Part 5.9

Welcome to the final installment of “The Business of Prayer: Praying for You Incorporated.” For this final installment we will be discussing a department that is not commonly found in most businesses. In fact, this department is mainly found in non-profit organizations if at all. However, we find it to be an important department to focus on in prayer. This department is the legacy department. In a legacy department you might guess that the purpose is to leave and establish one’s legacy. This is very important as followers of Jesus, legacy is how we live our lives. The main goal is to have a life that lights up so that others can see. In other words produce results in life that others would find attractive and like to follow. The best way to do this is through prayer.

What legacy are you and God preparing for?
When we think of legacy we should ask this question: what legacy are you and God preparing for? This is where you need to take your prayer to the next level. One should start by asking God what I should be preparing for. The sad truth about legacy is that we only think of legacy when we reach “old age.” “Old age” is relative. However, having a legacy mindset isn’t just for the old. It actually means what God has given you to accomplish is so big that there is no way you can get it done in one lifetime. Think of all the assignments God gave people throughout the Bible. There is a common theme, they never reached the finish line of God’s mission. They only reached the finish line for their part in God’s mission.

Moses handed off to Joshua. Elijah handed the mission off to Elisha. King Saul hands over the reigns to David. Jesus handed the mission over to the disciples. The disciples handed it over to The Church (i.e. Apostle Paul). And this continues throughout all of time. Who are you handling your assignment off to? But more importantly, what are you handing off? This is legacy and why it’s a very important component in the business of prayer.

The reason we’ve added this component to the business of prayer is because most of us think of legacy without asking God’s help with it. What happens when you ask God to help you in establishing a legacy for your life’s contribution? It only means you’ll have a contribution to make and one that you can pass along to someone else who’s been selected with the same desire or passion.

Examples of legacy opportunities.
Allow me to keep moving, this isn’t a lesson on explaining what legacy is, but rather how we can use legacy as a component of prayer. We have but one intention here and that’s to improve our prayer. This is next level prayer.

We have four areas or examples of ways to use legacy in prayer that we’d like to share with you. Note, they are in no particular order and this list is not all inclusive.

Businesses
Don’t let this example throw you off. It’s easy to think you don’t have a business or businesses, if you don’t own your own business. Keep in mind that your life is a business. There’s a famous story told about a businessman who left delegates with certain aspects of his business while he was away on a trip. He gave one delegate five responsibilities, another three, and the last, he gave one. The point here I’d like to make is, with what you should do with your life, you should be like this businessman. Who are you leaving the pieces of your life with so that when you’re gone, the business (legacy) doesn’t simply fade away?
Therefore, ask God to show you your delegates. Ask God to show you what to delegate. Ask God to tell you when to delegate. Ask God to instruct you on legacy. This next level prayer.
Life Insurance
Most people think of life insurance as resources for one’s final expenses (i.e. burial costs). Have you ever considered that life insurance can be much more than that? It can be a tool for you to leave a legacy for the people, organizations, and causes that you love most. Regardless, you should ask God what would He have you do? How much does He want you to have? In fact, God may give you direction on what you need to leave behind therefore the amount may be dictated by Him. You see, if you don’t ask, you won’t know. This is the business of prayer.
Impacting society
In the point above, I referenced the word, “causes.” How will your life impact society? For what causes are you involved that will touch people who will continue living beyond you? Your impact is what gets passed down throughout time. Will you have an impact that’s passed down? Why not ask God what involvement with what organization would be best for you? Maybe you’re already connected to an organization, but have not given more to it, be it time, effort, resources, etc. Maybe you should be forming your own organization. It’s time you prayed and asked God. What would you have to say to Him regarding your accomplishments in impacting society? Would He be pleased? Would you be pleased? This is what we think about when we want to take prayer to the next level.
Your obituary
For the average person, which simply means greater than 51% of all human-beings, their legacy is summed up in a one-page obituary. That’s pretty sad. As a next-level person, I don’t want your life to be able to be summed up by your obituary. In fact, let others struggle to write your obituary. Moreover, I’d like you to live out what you’d like others to say about you in an obituary. Don’t let your life end with the reading of an obituary. Let your life continue beyond what’s written on a funeral announcement. I think what you have to offer your world is greater than that. You know what time it is? It’s time to pray and ask God what you can do to have a life that’s greater than any obituary that can be read.
There are certain people who have passed away, yet they still speak to us. Their legacy lives on in you and me. This is what I want said of me. This is what I want said of you. Regardless, it’s going to take a commitment to the business of prayer.

This concludes “You Incorporated.” Your life is the business that God has given you. If there is anything that should be discussed with God, it’s how your business is running. The story Jesus told goes like this. The master (businessman) returned from being away for a long time. He called his delegates together to give an account of the job they’d done with what they had been given. ^[1] Each day is your opportunity to give an account to The Master of the job you’re doing with what He has given you. “The Business of Prayer” is nothing more than you giving an account to The Master before it’s too late. “Too late” meaning before it (whatever it might be) can be corrected, altered, or improved. The Master wants you to be successful. In other words, He’s looking for you through the business of prayer to take your life, your business, to the next level.

Question: what can you do today to begin giving an account of your life to The Master?