Hope in the Darkness – A Prayer for Nurses
by Christy Secor DNP, RN, CDWF / NCF Professional Ministries Director
For Nurses Everywhere – In Honor of National Nurses Month 2022
God, I need you …
So much has changed.
So much has been lost.
So many have been lost.
Child, my grace is sufficient, and my power is made perfect in your weakness.
I never change. I am the same yesterday … today … and tomorrow.
I am here to redeem what has been lost … to use for good what was meant for evil.
I know the names of each one who has died. And I have conquered death.
God, where are you?
I feel the distance between us growing.
I am weary – a deep down in my bones weariness.
I am alone – who is there to speak for me in the chaos?
Child, I am here … I have never left you.
My arms are outstretched, ready to hold you close again.
My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
My promise is there for you – I will never leave you or forsake you.
God, my mind is conflicted – tossed about like the waves of the sea …
Is this my calling?
Is this my purpose?
Is this my identity?
Child, I give you a peace that passes all understanding.
Your calling is to follow me.
Your purpose is to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with me.
Your identity is found in me: remember, you are a new creation.
God, the darkness surrounds me …
It is so easy to feel lost.
It is so easy to feel alone.
It is so easy to give up.
Child, I am the Light of the world.
I leave the ninety-nine to search for the one who has been lost.
I tell you that nothing can separate you from my love.
I ask you to fix your eyes on what cannot be seen. Remember--there is hope!
You can download the May Prayer Calendar here: May 2022 Prayer Calendar.pdf
May Prayer Calendar
- May 1 – The Journal of Christian Nursing team is thanking God for a successful Journal Club in April on camp nursing. Pray for wisdom and discernment as we seek to expand these opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration.
- May 2 – Ask God to intervene and grow NCF’s professional membership – all are invited to NCF, but we also offer membership at a low fee (Join now!) that includes the Journal of Christian Nursing and other benefits.
- May 3 – As we celebrate nurses this month, thank God for this amazing ministry of nursing, of entering sacred caring spaces with the sick and hurting, of teaching to promote, maintain, and restore health, of washing bodies and feet in Jesus’ name. We are greatly blessed to be nurses.
- May 4 – NCF has developed a mentoring program for new graduate nurses. Ask God to prompt experienced nurses to volunteer as mentors, and to pair mentees and mentors in ways that will help all to grow.
- May 5 – Intercede for hurting nurses who are struggling on many fronts with work, family, and their personal mental, spiritual, and emotional health. Ask God to lead them into quiet times with him and to bring them into fellowship with those who can support them.
- May 6 – Lift up a Lippincott staff member who works on JCN who has a reoccurrence of breast cancer that is metastatic. Intercede for her healing and ask God for much grace as she pursues treatment and healing.
- May 7 – Several NCF staff members have significant deficits of around $10,000 each. Ask our generous God to move many to give to this ministry and erase all deficits quickly.
- May 8 – Pray for wisdom and discernment for Skip McDonald, an NCF staff member who works in the Southeastern United States, as she begins planning to start a discipleship course with students.
- May 9 – Please pray for Pandora, one of NCF’s professional nurse group leaders, as she travels back to her home country of Liberia to establish her non-profit and work with the local community and healthcare leaders. We pray for travel mercies and that God would provide an outpouring of his wisdom and discernment as she seeks to share the love of Christ with others.
- May 10 – Pray for the Twin Cities NCF team as they conclude the third part of their webinar series this evening on promoting spiritual care among nurses. Pray for God to use Hope in the Darkness – Growing in Intimacy in the lives of students, faculty, and nurses to provide support, encouragement, healing, and hope in the challenges we face personally and professionally.
- May 11 – Pray for God to move and be at work during Focus week which Skip McDonald will be participating. Meetings will take place from May 10-14. Pray for his Spirit to speak to the hearts of many and to firmly plant a vision for the future.
- May 12 – Teamwork that is always done remotely and with constant deadlines can result in strain and sometimes friction. Pray with and for the JCN staff, for grace-giving attitudes as they produce the best quality journals and practice patience and joy
- May 13 – Bethany Miller, a Campus Staff Minister who works in the Virginia Region, will be participating in their chapter camp from May 13-18. Pray for the nursing students who will be attending and that the time away from campus will allow them to connect deeply with the Lord.
- May 14 – Beseech God on behalf of the NCF Leadership Team, that Kathy, Christy, Jen, Kris, Leanne, and Jenny can clearly hear the Holy Spirit’s leading and lead well.
- May 15 – Intercede for our computerized member system, that joining and renewing memberships can occur without glitches. Ask God to make a way to integrate the member system with Mailchimp, our email communication platform.
- May 16 – Pray for the 26 new schools NCF is following who want to start NCF on campus; ask the Holy Spirit to bless our interactions with faculty and students.
- May 17 – Praise God for the opportunity NCF has to reach thousands of students, nurses, and educators every month with the good news of Jesus Christ. Ask him to draw students and nurses to NCF who need a personal relationship with Jesus.
- May 18 – Praise God for the graduating nurses who will be entering the workforce this month. Pray for success on their NCLEX licensing exams and that God will guide them into the jobs he has for each one.
- May 19 – Pray the NCF staff continue to grow in love and grace with each other. Ask the Holy Spirit to shine God’s light in our hearts and relationships; that God will protect our communication and that we will truly love each other as Christ loves us.
- May 20 – Thank God for bringing new NCF staff members to serve students and nurses. Pray for Tiegan, Wendy, and Jenny as they work on raising up ministry partners and as they learn NCF and their roles.
- May 21 – Pray for the hundreds of NCF volunteers – faculty and students who lead 126 active student groups, and nurses who lead 43 nurse groups.
- May 22 – We invite the Holy Spirit into this evening’s special Night of Prayer for Nurses as we pray for the needs of nurses and the nursing profession. We ask for discernment and wisdom as Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, NCF’s National Director, and Christy Secor, NCF’s Professional Ministries Director, lead this time of sharing, listening, and opening our hearts to God for his direction and healing.
- May 23 – Pray for the Christian Nursing Directory coming out in the July/September issue - may this be a wonderful resource for others, and may God bless those schools who have joined with us in the directory.
- May 24 – Pray for InterVarsity and NCF staff who will be participating in diversity training today through May 26. We ask God to use this experience to increase our awareness and sensitivity to the needs of others so that we may be truer reflections of his love.
- May 25 – Pray for a strong foundation of student leaders, faculty advisors, and NCF staff (Wendy Zhang) as a campus in Maryland begins its own NCF student group.
- May 26 – Pray for our Journal of Christian Nursing staff and a continued positive relationship with our publisher.
- May 27 – Pray for Skip McDonald and the other nurse group leaders as they begin to restart the NCF professional nurse group in the Atlanta area. We ask for this group to be a light and encouragement in the lives of nurses.
- May 28 – We ask God to continue to be in the planning and preparations for the CANA Regional Conference that will take place virtually on October 15, 2022, on the topic Evidence-Based Spiritual Care in Nursing Practice. Pray for the speakers as they prepare and for God to use this webinar to equip and strengthen our knowledge as well as to recognize the opportunities that exist in providing spiritual care to individuals, families, and communities in our care.
- May 29 – Each year Student Ministries experiences a high degree of turnover among its student leaders as students graduate from their nursing programs. Pray for God to provide and equip new and returning student leaders in the fall.
- May 30 – We praise God that Christy Secor has successfully completed the requirements to be a Saline Process Witness Trainer. We ask God to use this course to equip faculty and nurses on how to salt and light to others in their care as well as how to share their faith with sensitivity, permission, and respect.
- May 31 – We praise God for our growing number of professional nurse groups and their leaders. Grant wisdom and connection for those nurse group leaders who will gather this evening for our monthly Zoom call. We praise God for the heart of each leader to see others deepen or begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Pray for God to encourage us for what he sees as possible through these groups.
