Over the past months and years as I’ve ministered to nursing home residents, some thoughts have been slowly coalescing about how we view nursing home residents and who they truly are. I’ve put my thoughts in writing and have named it “A Call To Action”. I believe Jesus has laid a real urgency on my heart to get this information distributed and get a massive elderly prayer effort going. Not for specific requests, but more for an overall strengthening of His Church (Bride). If you are so led, please distribute this as widely as you can.
Brad Richard, Let’s Sing!
A Call To Action!
When the world thinks of nursing home residents,descriptions such as “non-productive”, “burden on society”, “weak”, helpless”and “useless” are fairly typical. I know this is very blunt, but if we’re being honest, this is reality. For the Church, though, the real question is how does God see these people and how should we see them? As you study the Bible, you come to realize quite quickly that God’s focus and priorities are diametrically opposed to those of the world, which makes sense considering who the ruler ofthis world is. In my ministry to the elderly in nursing homes, I’ve come to understand that, far from being a burden, our nursing home residents are potentially the most spiritually powerful segment of our society. We (the Church) need to come to a clear understanding of this and help them to unleash that power. As the spiritual war in these times becomes more intense and destructive, we have to start seeing these people for the incredibly valuable asset they are. We have to start seeing them as God does.
Let me illustrate –
“….And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you for My power is perfected in weakness”. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong”.
2Cor.12:9,10
Isn’t this pure foolishness? Reveling in being weak! Why would any sane person do this? It doesn’t make sense! Well, think of the sun on a cloudy day. You may be able to see only a slight brightness, if anything at all. But as the clouds weaken and dissipate, the sun shines more and more and more powerfully. I believe it is the same way with us. As we age and our flesh weakens, the Spirit is able to shine brighter and clearer with more and more power. He is freed up to accomplish His purpose. This applies to anyone in a weakened condition, but especially to the millions of nursing home residents who are also spiritually mature.
From working, entertaining and ministering in nursing homes,I can attest categorically as to their cumulative weakness. Vast legions are as fragile as fine crystal, many are completely bedridden. Society sends the clear message that through their weakness, they are of no value and sees them as ultimate weaklings, a shameful condition. Do you know who God sees when He looks at them? He sees SUPERMAN and SUPERWOMAN!!! Unfortunately, they (and we) have bought into the lie.
Going hand in hand with this is –
“….And in the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;”.
Rom. 8:26
“…we do not know how to pray as we should…..”. This is not meant as a criticism or to place blame, but as a statement of fact. We just don’t know nor are we expected to.
“the Spirit Himself intercedes for us..” It’s not just that He intercedes regarding our personal interests (for us), He also intercedes in place of us (for us).Why is all this so important? Think of it like baking a cake with a four year old. She or he wants to bake a cake, but they don’t know how to bake it as they should (or do it the way it needs to be done). It’s not a criticism, just how it is. They can’t read the recipe, don’t know what portions are or how to use a measuring cup. No real surprise there, right? But they are willing. So you start making a cake “together”. In actuality, you’re doing 99% of the productive work while encouraging your partner. Soon, though, their attention span runs its course and they end up going off doing something else. Again, no surprise. So you finish the cake for them in the way you know it has to be and the result is exactly as intended. And, you did it “together”! I believe this is what the Apostle Paul was getting at in this passage and the weaker we are,the better. In a way, we’re like wire carrying electricity and the stronger we are, the more natural resistance there is.
I tell my friends in the nursing home that all they really have to do is be willing. Just open themselves up to God in prayer and meditation and let the Holy Spirit loose in the world to do His work. They know how to pray, but really aren’t aware of just how urgent the need for their prayers is. I’m convinced that the power of those prayers is so much greater than any of us can conceive of or imagine that when we look back from Eternity and see the full extent of the impact they’ve had, we will all wish they had prayed 100 times as much. Because they were powerful? No, because they were weak, but willing.
My ministry, like most ministries to the elderly, has been mainly one of comforting. Now, Jesus has changed my vision and I see them for who they really are – powerful prayer warriors, powerful spiritual beings.Remember, these folks made it through the Great Depression, WWII (many WWI),Korea, Vietnam, raised families and built the amazing country we’ve inherited.Many may be weak physically, but don’t kid yourself, they are tough as nails in their spirits.
Weneed them more desperately than we know.
Please prayerfully consider taking a very active role with residents in care facilities in your area. Help them understand how vital and important they are. I am not trying to be melodramatic and I don’t tell residents this just to help them, “feel better about themselves”. This is a truth we all need to embrace. They need us. They need YOU. And we need them. We need their prayers for us, our children, our friends and families and our nation. May God’s will be done.
“….’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ saith the Lord of hosts.”
"A Call to Action"
