May 2019 Prayer and Praise

“Four Million Reasons to Celebrate”

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ, we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

~ Romans 12: 4 - 5 (NIV)

During the month of May, we celebrate Nurses Week and the care each nurse provides to others. Care that begins while still a student and extends far beyond our retirement from the workforce. The theme for this year is “Four Million Reasons to Celebrate” and it honors each nurse in the United States.

As believers in the body of Christ, we recognize our unique individuality as well as our connectedness to one another through Jesus Christ where “each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:5b, NIV). Our prayers and care for each other honors Jesus Christ who gave all for us. 

I recently came across this quote and read it in a new light. I was familiar with the last sentence, but I did not realize it was said in the context of nursing. It represents our purpose and our calling which is deepened through our faith in Jesus Christ. 

"As a nurse, we have the opportunity to heal 

the heart, mind, soul and body of our patients, their families and ourselves. 

They may forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel."

~ Maya Angelou, author, poet, and civil rights activist

Know that your prayers for each other and this ministry make a difference – just as each of you do in your role as a nurse. Thank you for your prayers. 

May 2019 Prayer Calendar

  • May 1 - Ask God to infuse wisdom to the staff of Nurses Christian Fellowship as we seek to follow and serve Him. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7, ESV).
  • May 2 - Ask the Holy Spirit to guide NCF in marketing efforts to reach nursing students and nurses; pray for our web, Facebook, blogs, and other media outreach – that it would honor God and draw nurses to Him. 
  • May 3 – Pray for God’s protection for the staff of NCF, our faculty advisors and student leaders, and our nurse group leaders. Ask God to carefully watch over each one as we work and travel. Pray also for the health and protection of our families as they support us in the work and ministry we do.
  • May 4 – We praise God for the commitment and vision of Tim Lin, our Student Ministries Director, within Nurses Christian Fellowship and for the opportunity he now has serving InterVarsity and students as the Regional Director for Great Lakes – East. Tim will be transitioning from his role within NCF on June 30th. Pray for Tim and his family as they have moved to Grand Rapids and for God to greatly bless his work in this new area of leadership.
  • May 5 - Praise God for honoring His work through the Journal of Christian Nursing and giving 2019 top awards from the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors to JCN. Ask God to use these awards to draw readers to JCN and to a relationship with Jesus.
  • May 6 – We praise God for nurses everywhere as we celebrate the start of National Nurses Week! May we have new eyes to see our calling and purpose affirmed in what we do and deeper connections with each other. May God give us wisdom and discernment for the future as we care for all generations. 
  • May 7 – Pray for NCF staff who have traveled to Madison, Wisconsin for meetings this week and are seeking God in planning for the future. Pray also for our staff who work in Madison as they find a new “normal” at the office.  Your prayers have been felt as transitions have been going well.
  • May 8 - Ask God for a deluge of new NCF members as we use our publications and social media to effectively communicate the NCF vision for Christian nurses. Pray also for our staff as workloads will be busier for the month of May as the member special becomes active.  
  • May 9 – We praise God for the two new professional nurse groups that are starting this week. Please be praying for the nurse group leaders of both Calhoun County in Michigan and in Raleigh, North Carolina. Pray for God to draw nurses to these groups for support, encouragement, and to know Jesus more deeply.
  • May 10 - Praise God for the great NCF teams He has created to serve student ministry, nurse ministry, marketing, and Journal of Christian Nursing. Ask Him to bless and lead each team leader and team.
  • May 11 - Pray for the many seniors from NCF student chapters as they graduate, study for the NCLEX, and prepare for new jobs. Ask that through these transitions, they will stay close to Jesus and depend on him.
  • May 12 – Mother’s Day can be a day filled with both blessing and grief. We pray for mothers at all stages of their lives. We remember our own mothers and all they taught us. We pray for mothers who have adult children and for mothers who are dealing with children who are choosing their own way. We pray for single mothers for strength and courage. We lift up those who have lost a child or who experience infertility. We rejoice with mothers who see their children walking in faith and for those who care for little ones at home. God, we thank you for hearing our prayers for our children. Watch over our children always.
  • May 13 - Pray for NCF student ministries as we seek to fill openings for 2019-20 for a new Student Ministries Director and for a team of National Campus Staff Ministers.
  • May 14 - The work of NCF is multifaceted and complex with our student, nurse, and publishing ministry. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide each step and protect us from interruptions and confusion; pray that God’s Word would be a lamp to our feet, a light for each step on the path to what He wants (Psalm 119:105). 
  • May 15 - Pray for NCF student ministries staff as we write and edit several bible study series. Pray that God will give insight and clarity in the writing process.
  • May 16 – We praise God for five new nurses who recently joined our nurse group in Canton, Ohio! Pray for each of our professional nurse groups to grow and to stay active and vibrant. Pray for wisdom and discernment as our nurse group leaders look for a time, location, and content that would best meet the needs of more nurses.
  • May 17 - We praise God for the faculty advisors we have within NCF and for the time they give to students with all their other faculty commitments. Pray that God would call other faculty members to come alongside to support our faculty advisors at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio and Lorain County Community College in Lorain, Ohio. 
  • May 18 – Pray for God to lead and draw graduates of nursing students in the Twin Cities to participate in the mentorship pilot that will begin later this month. Pray for connection and openness in these relationships. Pray also for wisdom as we share this work with others. 
  • May 19 – We praise God for supportive coworkers who are willing to assist each other. Pray for our ability to clearly communicate across the miles for our student ministry, professional ministry, Journal of Christian Nursing, and marketing teams. 
  • May 20 - Pray for NCF student ministries as we invite graduating seniors to stay connected to NCF. Pray that many of them will respond to the invitation and join the NCF professional organization.
  • May 21 – Ask God to bring in all finances that are needed to finish the fiscal year (June 30) as He designs. Pray that the Holy Spirit would stir hearts to give as he wants. 
  • May 22 – We thank God for the team of incredible men and women He is using to plan for the Nurses Christian Fellowship International Congress that will be meeting in Denver, Colorado in July 2020. Pray for the details to continue to come together and for delegates from other countries to be able to participate.
  • May 23 – We thank Jesus for leading in the development of new Bible nursing studies – Act, Love, Walk based on Micah 6:8; and Spiritual Needs – that will be available soon here. Ask God to use these studies mightily!
  • May 24 - Praise God for the new NCF student chapter at Illinois State University! We are thankful for a committed faculty advisor and a number of students from different class years who have joined NCF so far.
  • May 25 – Pray for the leaders who are planning the East Texas Nurses Christian Fellowship Fall Retreat that’s scheduled for October 25 – 27, 2019. Pray for all the details to come together and for this to be a time of refreshment and encouragement physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
  • May 26 – Pray for each of us to set aside needed time for rest and Sabbath. Help us to remember caring for ourselves is okay.
  • May 27 - NCF is increasing our communication through drip campaigns. Drip campaigns are way of communicating pre-written messages to our members over time. Our members shared in the member survey they are not always aware of the benefits they have within NCF. Pray that these messages will help us to keep in touch more with our members.  Pray more members will make use of these benefits and will also renew their memberships.
  • May 28 – Pray for educators and their families to come to InterVarsity’s Cedar Campus in Cedarville, Michigan to participate in the Midwest Faculty Conference June 15 – 21 as we discuss Hope and Disappointment in the Midst of God’s Call. Pray for Christy Secor, NCF’s Professional Ministries Director, who will be speaking there as well.
  • May 29 - Communication with others is an important part of what NCF does through our newsletters and emails. We are praising God for answers provided through Information Technology to help us use Mail Chimp more effectively! We are so grateful for the men and women who are a part of InterVarsity’s team and the support they provide.
  • May 30 – We have a few faculty members who are available to start chapters but have not been able to connect with interested students.  We need some divine appointments and a spark to get NCF chapters going on these campuses.  
  • May 31 - We thank God for nurses who respond to the Holy Spirit’s whisper to write articles for the Journal of Christian Nursing. Ask Him to continue to draw authors and topics that he wants to publish through JCN.