How Shut-ins Can Find a Ministry at Home

If you're disabled and confined to your home, it's easy to feel useless and not important to others. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Here are a few suggestions to not only bless others, but also bring joy back into your own life because you've reached out to others worse off than you are.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

Can you knit or crochet? Even if you just know only a few stitches, you can be a blessing to others by knitting or crocheting prayer shawls for people who are sick or need encouragement. All you need are a few balls of yarn, crochet hooks, and/or knitting needles. The internet is full of patterns for shawls, so just do a simple search. Or, use the patterns created by a Hartford, Connecticut church that founded the first prayer shawl group.

As you knit or crochet your prayer shawl, be in prayer for the person who'll be receiving it. When you finished, included a special note about how you've wrapped them in your prayers. Then arrange for someone, such as your pastor, to pick it and deliver it. Not only will you bring joy to someone else, but you'll connect with others, too.

Internet Outreach

If you have a computer and are somewhat computer literate, you can set up a website where you receive prayer requests from people around the world in need. By including powerful scriptures on your web site, you are bringing God's Word into homes around the world that need a touch from God. Or, you don't need to go as far as to set up a web site. Just by getting involved with a few message boards where you find hurting people, you can bring God's hope to those who struggle.

Telephone Ministry

If you don't have a computer or don't know how to knit or crochet, chances are you do have a telephone. Instead of being isolated, reach out and touch someone who's in more pain than you are. Ask your pastor for names of people in the congregation who need encouragement, or just need someone to listen to them and/or pray for them. What's more, you'll be connecting with other people, knowing you're making a difference in their lives.

Prayer Ministry

Finally, if you feel as if you can't do anything, there is one thing that you can do. And that's pray. In fact, praying for others is the most important ministry of all. Becky D., a good friend of mine, has a mother who's 104 years old, confined to a nursing home. Becky's mom may be a centurion, but she daily intercedes for her daughter's Bible study ministry. Not only does she pray, but she also she organizes a prayer group of other elderly prayer warriors right there at the nursing home.

If someone who's more than 100 years old and confined in a nursing home can still reach out and bless others, then the rest of us can do even more.