If faith is important to your older family member or friend…
help them to practice that faith by creating a space for prayer. Just like any other activity, faith practices might be something they have forgotten to take part in.
Remind them in a creative way
In creating activity spaces we can engage someone in a spiritual activity by sight, sound, touch, taste, and/or smell. If the bible is put away on a shelf a loved one might not remember that it is there, but if your loved one sees a bible laying on an end table near where she sits she might easily pick it up and read it.
Prayer spaces can be created anywhere
Prayer spaces can mean a special place set aside in your loved one’s home with a religious theme. But it can also mean a basket of religious or spiritual items, a shelf of spiritual books, or a special box on a bedside table.
12 ideas for creating big and small spaces for prayer
- Place the family bible on a night stand, end table, or coffee table. Place bookmarks on pages that have favorite passages so they are easier to find. (This is an activity in itself to find their favorite passages) Also, many older family bibles have pages that list births, deaths, weddings, and other dates that might also be interesting to look at. My mother has her family bible that lists many dates of her relatives births and deaths that she looks at from time to time.
- Place spiritual books on a bookshelf nearby or stacked on an end table. Again, mark favorite pages with bookmarks so favorites are easily found.
- Daily devotionals can be placed on end tables, night stands, and even in a purse to look at while waiting for a doctor’s appointment. Keep a bookmark on the current page.
- Symbols of faith are different for every religion. Symbols can take the form of a statue set on a dresser, night stand, or shelf, or a picture hung on a wall, etc…
- Spiritual or religious music can be placed anywhere in the home. Set a cd player up with music next to it. Also consider making a playlist of spiritual or religious songs on a personal music device that can be listened to anywhere you and your loved one are.
- Religious and spiritual pictures hung on a wall or special room set aside for prayer.
- A special room that can include a quiet place for prayer or meditation. Pictures, symbols, books, etc… can all be included here.
- A scrapbook of a family’s religious events can be created. Religious events can include such things as baptisms, weddings, bar mitzvahs, confirmations, etc… The scrapbooks can be set out on a table where it can be viewed at any time.
- A basketful of items can be set beside a chair where your loved one sits. These items can include books, devotionals, pictures, prayer cards, rosaries (for Catholics), greeting cards received that are of a religious nature, etc…
- A prayer space can also be in the kitchen and dining room where food is prepared and eaten. When certain foods are prepared, such as during Christian and Jewish holidays, take this time to talk about the foods and why it is you are eating it. Loved ones can take part in prayer before meals if that is something they practice.
- Many consider outdoor spaces as spiritual places. Watching nature, sitting silently, or taking walks are natural ways to be in a spiritual place.
- Spiritual and religious televisions shows should be considered in this list. Many people enjoy watching shows of this nature in the comfort of their home.