I Kings 15:4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong.
Psalms 145:4. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.
Isa. 38: 19. The living, the living–they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.
1 John 5:14 – “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
Reflection:
Versions of the phrase—“For David’s sake” show up in many places in the Old Testament. It’s a declaration of God’s faithfulness even when we are faithless. King David was certainly not the model father by any stretch of the imagination. We have his failures on full display in scripture, yet in spite of all his failings, God is faithful in his promises to bless the generations after King David.
In 915 BC, a king named Abijam assumed the throne of Judah. He was great-great grandson of David. Abijam he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord, yet for the sake of his servant David, the Lord was not willing to destroy Jerusalem and even went so far as saying he will remember David’s prayers and give them a new king through which Jerusalem would again be strong.
This is almost 100 years after David’s death! David is gone, but God hasn’t forgotten the promise He made. God has a good memory. He doesn’t forget the prayers of our fathers, and He doesn’t forget His promises.
The fact is that God has done blessed you because of someone else’s faithfulness and prayers. I had a praying father and I would often see in private prayer. I would often visit my dad on Saturday mornings. This was years after had left my fathers house, as I was married with my own children. I would arrive early in the morning and would “catch” my dad in prayer for his children and grandchildren. This was not a one time event, but over and over I would come and hear him crying out to God for his children and grandchildren.
My dad is now gone, but I know that because of his faithfulness and prayer, the blessing of God has continues in my life. Prayers do not have an expiration date! There have been so many moments in my life where I’ve received “grace gifts” from God that I’ve known I didn’t deserve. Many times, the Holy Spirit has reminded me that my dad’s [and mom’s] prayers were being answered then and there in my life. When the realization that you are standing in a place of blessing all because of the generation that went before you will give you goose bumps as you consider the implications. I know that God has blessed me “for Edwin’s sake.”
We are the recipients of blessing due to the faithfulness of previous generations. Prayers we never knew about have been and are being answered in our lives and in the lives of our children. God is at work blessing us and our families even when we can not connect the dots. He will use our prayers to set up blessings for those yet to come. Our prayers will flow to the next generation. Dad’s make your voice heard in Heaven’s courts.
It might be our tendency to live for today, but God is always working for the generations that follow.
David
Prayer: Lord, I pray that the truth and grace that has been given to us will not end with us, but be learned and passed on to the next generation. Would you grant us the grace we need to live out our love for you so that our children, even the children yet unborn, will know the path that leads to life? Bless them for your Kingdoms sake – In Jesus name.
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