For years in America there has been a worship of youth and a growing disdain for elders. But we are in the middle of a shift taking place in which honor is being restored to the aged.
What happens in the natural is an indicator of what is taking place in the spiritual. That shift points to a return to respect and honor of the older generation. The past two weeks this can be seen in the music industry where Dolly Parton (77), Cher (77) and Brenda Lee (79) all have best selling songs and/or albums topping the charts. When have we seen that happen? It is an indicator.
I want to encourage you, especially those reading who are 65 and over, which I know are a lot of my readers. YOU are the ones leading the charge, forming a prayer wall of protection over our nation. YOU are the ones who are the poll workers, researchers and volunteers, working behind the scenes. This is in part because many of you are now at a place in your schedules that you can do these things and see their importance. And rather than stepping out of the way, you have stepped into what I believe is one of the most important assignments of your lives!
What is happening in the natural is an indicator of what is happening in the spirit realm. Be encouraged. Please don’t give up. We need you and God isn’t through with you.
It is wisdom and humility when we recognize that we don’t know it all, and can learn from those who are older, who have experienced things that we have yet to encounter. We would do well to listen and learn from them.
If you are part of that older generation my word to you today is remember who you are and what you have within you. You are able to impart wisdom based on experience of what you have walked through to help others, so that we don’t have to go through some of the same hardships. Perhaps you are 35-65 reading this, or those who are 20-35, there is always someone younger who can learn from our experience and insights who we can impart to and mentor to help them through challenging times.
We desperately need you. And while some have physical limitations which make it hard to get out to mentor, volunteer, etc. There are others who can both pray AND actively work to bring about change. And we must. It is not the time to give up or shut up.
Pastor Dan McCollum (Co-founder of Bethel School of the Prophets) made a powerful statement recently, “God is looking not just for visionaries but solutionaries/actionaries! Our faith is not determined by what we believe but what we do.”
Let me repeat that. Our faith is not determined by what we believe but what we do.
Let’s remember if we pray and decree without any determination to act, it will not have an effect. It’s like praying for a godly candidate to win and then we don’t go to the polls to vote them in. Faith without works is dead.
Actions will always follow what we truly believe. If there is no action, then our faith and courage are small. May we pray big prayers followed by big action—life-changing action to motivate and inspire others. (Remember Caleb, who at 80, fought to take hold of his promise land?)
Seniors, this is YOUR time in history. You may have felt sidelined and cast aside, but God is saying that He is raising you back up and bringing honor to the aged. Be ready and keep moving forward!
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Father, I pray for the seniors, and any who have felt cast aside due to age or physical limitations. I thank You for them and for those who have faithfully stood in prayer for our nation. You see them and know them. The ones who have spent hours on their knees, during the day, in the middle of the night, praying for their children, grandchildren, for their cities and our nation, for righteousness to be restored. We pray You would bless them and infuse them with renewed strength. That they would run and not be weary and walk and not faint. That they would not grow weary in doing well, for in due season they will reap if they faint not. We command discouragement to go.
We know that age doesn’t automatically make us wise, so teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
We thank you for the shift we see taking place where age is once again honored. We thank you that there is a renewed acknowledgment of skill and insight that comes only with experience. Where the older generation has been ignored and silenced, we thank You that You are restoring their voice!
We thank You that You are doing what was prophesied years before and the hearts of the fathers are turning to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. We declare the days of division in which one was pitted against the other are no more. Restore relationships and bring unity between the young and old. May the older generation be willing to listen and learn from the younger generation, but also may the younger generation listen and learn from the older generation and bestow honor, for in doing so they shall be blessed.
We pray for mentors to rise up for those who are young, for we can all learn from those who are our elders who can help show us a path to avoid life’s pitfalls. No matter what our age, we declare we will not be wise in your own eyes but fear the Lord and turn from evil. So it will be healing to our body and health and refreshing to our bones. Unite our nation, unite our families, unite hearts as one nation under God.
Is 40:31, Gal 6:9, Ps 90:12, Mal 4:6, Rom 13:7, Prov 3:7-10