Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, who has been referred to as the longest-running televangelist on air, is in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrest at 90 years old. Rev. Swaggart’s family has called for urgent prayers and explained that the pastor “needs a miracle from heaven.”
For context, on Sunday, June 15, Rev. Swaggart experienced a cardiac arrest at his Louisiana home and was promptly hospitalized. Posting on Rev. Swaggart’s official Facebook page, his son, Donnie, updated Swaggart’s hundreds of thousands of followers on his condition, asking “urgently” for prayer.”
In a Facebook post on June 15, Donnie Swaggart wrote, “On this Father’s Day, we urgently ask you to pray for Brother Swaggart. He needs a miracle from heaven right now, this morning. We must have the Lord intervene in this situation and we need your prayers.” Moreover, Donnie provided another update on Sunday night, writing, “At this time, there has been no change in his condition.”
Continuing, Donnie asked those impacted by his father’s ministry to “continue to lift him up in prayer and believe God for a miracle—but above all, we trust in the Lord’s perfect will.” Donnie added, “We kindly ask that you respect the privacy of the Swaggart family during this time and refrain from calling to inquire.”
On June 17, Donnie posted an additional update at 10 AM, saying that there had been “no change in Brother Swaggart’s condition,” adding, “We continue to trust the Lord and give Him time to work, knowing that His ways are perfect.” Moreover, Donnie asked for prayers for his mother, saying, “These past two days have been especially difficult for her.”
Swaggart has remained both a beloved and controversial figure for decades, particularly after he had his credentials pulled from the Assemblies of God denomination after he confessed to hiring a prostitute. In response, Swaggart openly confessed in a sermon on February 21, 1988, which has come to be known as the “I Have Sinned” message.
In that famous sermon, Swaggart took full ownership of his wrongdoing, saying, “I do not plan in any way to whitewash my sin. I do not call it a mistake, a mendacity; I call it sin. I would much rather, if possible, and in my estimation it would not be possible, to make it worse than less than it actually is.”
Continuing, Swaggart told his congregation, “I have no one but myself to blame. I do not lay the fault or the blame of the charge at anyone else’s feet. For no one is to blame but Jimmy Swaggart. I take the responsibility. I take the blame. I take the fault.” After his confession, the pastor continued to preach and has had a devoted following ever since, despite being caught with a prostitute for a second time in 1991.
Featured image credit: Jimmy Swaggart via Facebook