There’s an old worship hymn I love called “There’s a Work for Jesus Only You Can Do” that talks about the solemn responsibility we have to be part of the work of Christ in the world today. And believe it or not, seniors specifically have a vital role to play as influencers for the Kingdom of God.
It saddens me, then, to hear that many seniors feel marginalized, even in our churches, when there’s so much for us to do. This is a very serious problem because seniors are actually more qualified for ministry than most other people.
Here’s what I mean… Seniors are educated. Seniors know how to work with people. And thanks to medical science, we’re living longer and healthier lives than ever before. Yes, seniors are a tremendous asset to the body of Christ today.
But we seniors today must first come to this realization and categorically reject the lie that we’re not of any value. We must actualize in our minds the fact that we are one of the church’s greatest resources—and start living like it!
There’s a work for Jesus that we as seniors have to do. So what is that work? It’s fulfilling one of the most important roles in all of the church: the role of a faithful, praying believer in Jesus Christ.
You see, Kingdom building isn’t all about being a construction worker. Yes, we need those front-line laborers who will sow the seed of the gospel and do the “grunt work” of ministry. But the role of a praying believer is to mobilize the resources of the Kingdom to the front lines.
The front-line gospel worker is responsible for building. But the praying believer releases the tools and materials to make it all happen!
This is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1,
I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people…
Notice how prayer is the first thing Paul urges. Not evangelism or feeding the hungry—but prayer.
Seniors today must come together in prayer so that God’s power can be realized on the front lines of Kingdom growth. And we must do it not with the attitude that, “All we can do is pray.” Instead, we must pray believing we’re making an eternal contribution to God’s Kingdom.
The act of prayer is an amazing work you can do for Jesus. It’s a work that’s so very necessary yet so often neglected. But I’m convinced that if seniors will come together to humble themselves and pray, we’ll shake the heavens and make an eternal impact for God’s Kingdom!
Stuart Briscoe, now 79, served as Senior Pastor of Elmbrook Church in Wisconsin for 30 years. Today he teaches the Bible worldwide with his wife, Jill, and son, Pete. The three can be heard together on their daily radio program, Telling the Truth. Visit TellingtheTruth.org for station listings.