This is a photo of my parents with my sister, Linda Richey, and brother, Darrell Pritchett

Longevity Secrets from the Life of Bill Pritchett

So now, beloved ones, stand firm and secure. Live your lives with an unshakable confidence. We know that we prosper and excel in every season by serving the Lord, because we are assured that our union with the Lord makes our labor productive with fruit that endures. 1 Corinthians 15:58 TPT

This scripture describes my parents’ lives. From their first experience with the Lord as young people, they continued to serve Him with an unchanging faith and devotion for their entire lives.

One of their favorite choruses describes them well:

I have decided to follow Jesus  – no turning back!

The best part of their decision to follow the Lord was that they also decided to influence as many people as possible to make the same decision.

Their lives were based on the message of grace because by seeing God at work in them, we can truly learn the privilege and honor to serve the Lord through grace. Here’s a quote from one of his sermons:

“Folks, we’ve got to get addicted to the Word. You also need to approach what others think is hard through prayer and even fasting until you ENJOY it. There is a danger of ‘cheap grace’ in praying. It’s not as simple as asking for what we want and simply tacking on ‘in the name of Jesus.’ It is so much more than going through life doing what you want and then when you have a need saying ‘in the name of Jesus.’ It doesn’t work that way. Instead, you know that Jesus is the only one who works in and through you. Then, when you say ‘in the name of Jesus’ you are letting Him shine through you and you move into new victories.”

In each ministry assignment – even those they didn’t ask for – they looked for people to disciple. Others might have gotten discouraged and negative. Instead, they created a community of prayer, Bible study and fellowship in every place. That’s the legacy they left. It’s a legacy of unwavering confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit in difficult situations and in the lives of others. I want to be like that when I grow up. How about you?

Longevity Secret #26:

Take a stand for what you believe. Make your life-long commitment to read the Word and pray every day. Life what you believe and leave a legacy of unwavering faith and hope.

This post is part of the Write 31 Days 2019 challenge. Click here to find more longevity secrets.

Author, speaker, corporate trainer, ordained minister and Hope Catalyst, Karen Sebastian enjoys sharing her rich life experiences with others – engaging them in adventurous discoveries of the beauty of hope in a dark, cloudy world. Her books will inspire you to embrace hope no matter what you are going through. As a caregiver and widow she took brave steps forward to fulfill God’s calling on her life. She has now remarried and enjoys her new hubby and spending time with their children and grandchildren. To increase hope and improve relationships with yourself and those that you love, check out her Facebook page – The Power of Hope.