January 2020 Prayer and Praise

No matter who you are, where you are, or what you are facing; we have a promise. Jesus Christ is with us. 

  • It doesn’t matter what mistakes you’ve made. Jesus Christ is with us.
  • It doesn’t matter how many things you have on your plate that you’ve successfully completed or that have gone completely undone. Jesus Christ is with us.
  • It doesn’t matter what emotions you are holding onto or working through – grief, anger, isolation, bitterness, or unforgiveness. Jesus Christ is with us.
  • It doesn’t matter if you are in a season of beginning new things or letting go of past hopes, dreams, and expectations. Jesus Christ is with us.

John 1:14a (NKJV) says:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

Recently a pastor explained the word “dwelt” means “to pitch a tent.” Jesus Christ…God…became flesh and pitched His tent among us. Think about it. 

This verse talks about us in our everyday, chaotic, messed up state of being. Not in our Sunday best or when we put on our best face. It’s when we are at our worst. When our bodies and our spirits ache from weariness. When our hopes have dried up. When we struggle for purpose. When we question our value, our identity, and our worth. Jesus Christ is with us.

This is where Jesus Christ pitches His tent. This is where He lives. We can come just as we are to Him and experience life, purpose, and rest in the way we were meant to live … in relationship with Him.

Christy Secor RN, DNP, CDWF, NCF Professional Ministries Director

You can download the January Prayer Calendar here.

January Prayer Calendar

  • January 1 – January brings hope for a fresh start for many, but those hopes can fade as days pass and life happens. May we experience real renewal in Jesus Christ and bask in the deepness of who He is knowing the love of the Lord never ceases and His mercies are new every morning!
  • January 2 – We ask the Holy Spirit to guide Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner in a time of sabbatical – toward healing and insight about living life after her husband’s traumatic brain injury; for wisdom and insight for NCF; and for guidance on a new nursing book for IV Press.
  • January 3 – Pray for NCF staff (Christy Secor, Jen Wojtysiak, Katharine Provost, Skip McDonald, and Lisa Carlson) who are participating in InterVarsity’s Staff Conference January 2 – 6. Pray this would be a time to gain wisdom and new knowledge, fellowship with the Lord, and network with other staff members to grow the ministry of NCF.
  • January 4 – Praise God for the generosity of those who gave special financial gifts in December to help reduce NCF’s deficit. We ask God to bless and return their kindness a hundred-fold. 
  • January 5 – May God strongly lead and guide NCF in 2020. We pray that all staff and volunteers would hear His voice and obey as we serve students, nurses, and educators. 
  • January 6 – We request God’s blessing on NCF’s electronic communications that go out to thousands of nurses who need encouragement and spiritual support. We ask God to control the creation of blogs, Facebook posts, and emails as well as the technology that manages all communications. 
  • January 7 – May God warm our hearts as we endure with gratitude these winter months. Remind us, Lord, to be thankful in all situations and to use this time to reach out to others and to spend quality time with those we love.
  • January 8 – Pray for strength, wisdom, insight, and knowledge for nursing students and faculty members as they begin a new semester. Pray for students to rest securely in their identity in Jesus Christ.
  • January 9 – We praise God for the new professional nurse group that recently began in Cleveland, Ohio. May God use this group to reach nurses as they support and encourage one another in their faith and their practice.
  • January 10 – Pray for wisdom, discernment, and time management for Christy Secor, Professional Ministries Director, who is also serving as the Interim Director for NCF during Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner’s sabbatical. May God bless each person of NCF’s team as they continue to provide their time, prayers, support and expertise for this ministry.
  • January 11 – As believers, we each have opportunities to minister to others who are going through difficult life circumstances. Some of us are also walking through these experiences ourselves.  Pray for grace, strength, and insight as we minister to others. Pray also for endurance, healing, and reliance on the Lord for those of us and others who are struggling.  
  • January 12 – Pray for faith community nurses to submit their work, insights, and research as continuing education articles to the Journal of Christian Nursing. We ask God to use these articles to further the practice of these nurses throughout the country.
  • January 13 – Pray for the leaders and individuals of our student and professional nurse groups to have a renewed focus on the reason for NCF ministry - representing Jesus Christ in nursing.
  • January 14 – We thank God for His direction and guidance in this ministry and the way lives are being touched. We ask God to continue to provide for NCF and for us as a team as we focus on His will for this ministry in 2020.
  • January 15 – Thank you God for the Twin Cities, MN mentorship ministry and communication among “pairs” of nurses and new graduates over these last few months.  We ask God for encouragement of all who are involved and that relationships would be strengthened.  
  • January 16 – Ask the Holy Spirit to show NCF staff what specific things God wants to offer through NCF membership. How does God want NCF to care for members? How can NCF effectively communicate with members to offer God’s love and care?
  • January 17 – We ask God to move mightily in difficult situations reported to NCF by nursing students, nurses, and educators. May the Holy Spirit surround and comfort these precious nurses and ease the burdens they carry.
  • January 18 – Pray for God to make a way for nursing students, educators, and nurses around the world to successfully attend the Nurses Christian Fellowship International World Congress in July 2020. Some nurses are facing significant challenges with obtaining visas. Continue to also pray for the Planning Committee as final preparations are made as well as for the speakers and breakout sessions that are being planned.
  • January 19 – We thank God for the nursing programs featured in JCN’s 2020 Directory of Christian Nursing Schools. May God use these programs to equip, educate, and promote best practice for the next generation of nurses in our profession.
  • January 20 – Pray for the development of more NCF resources—Bible studies, spiritual care resources, and group resources for students, nurses, and educators. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide NCF staff and volunteers in the creation of and offering access to these resources.
  • January 21 – Praise God for an amazing year of ministry and growth in 2019! God added 11 new professional nurse groups in 2019; 12 new student groups in the fall semester; and four new NCF staff: Jen Wojtysiak (Student Ministries Director), Katharine Provost (Campus Staff Minister), Elizabeth Johnston Taylor (JCN staff), and Jessica Harper (Marketing and Communications Manager).
  • January 22 – We lift up nurses who are answering the call to serve God, communities, and individuals through missions around the world whether on a short-term trip or as a full-time vocation. Pray for God to use these men and women in a mighty way as they care for others and share the light and hope of Jesus Christ.
  • January 23 – The retired nurses who provide their expertise, encouragement, support, and prayer for individuals, communities, NCF staff, students, and nursing programs across the country are an incredible gift. May God continue to bless and nurture the legacy they provide us in both our faith and practice. 
  • January 24 – We ask God to continue to provide for NCF’s financial needs and to call many to give regularly in their financial support. Pray that those God calls to meet this need would respond. 
  • January 25 – Pray for the Lord to guide what topics and content areas need to be developed for the nurses in 2020 through the Journal of Christian Nursing.
  • January 26 – Pray for several NCF staff who have family members struggling with emotional concerns and depression.
  • January 27 – Pray for our new NCF staff member, Katharine Provost, as she works on ministry partner development (MPD) for her position as a National Campus Staff Minister, where she will serve student groups across the nation. Ask God to bless her interactions with those He is calling to support her in ministry!
  • January 28 – Intercede for NCF student and professional nurse groups throughout the country – ask the Holy Spirit to protect and guide the 130 student groups and their leaders as well as the 40 professional nurse groups and leaders. Pray for students and nurses who don’t know Jesus to discover NCF groups and attend. Pray also for God’s presence to draw them to relationship with Jesus Christ. 
  • January 29 – Pray that God would manage our time and actions as His nurses and that we would accomplish all He has for us to do. 
  • January 30 – Ask God to lead potential Journal of Christian Nursing authors to write as He leads them and submit work from His heart to JCN so we can offer great materials to students and nurses. 
  • January 31 – Pray for preparations for the February 20 Twin Cities, MN NCF meeting, “Connecting the Dots: Coping with the Challenges of Moral Distress.”  May God continue to build biblical foundations for this year’s discussions about ethical issues and ways Christian nurses can make a difference.