God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
~Psalm 46:1 (KJV)
On Thanksgiving Day, 2022, I was in a car accident with my two daughters as we headed to Thanksgiving dinner with a friend and her family. My car was at the autobody shop until December 23, 2022. I drove the vehicle for one week and the Monday immediately after the New Year, a warning message appeared on my dash.
I contacted the dealer where I purchased my car and had to wait an additional three weeks until a loaner vehicle would be available. Then the dealer explained I would need to return my car to the autobody shop that repaired it. Waiting until the autobody shop could schedule me would be an additional week.
As I talked with the mechanics at the autobody shop, they would not allow me to leave because it would not be safe to drive the vehicle as it was. They explained they would be liable if they allowed me to leave and I had an accident. The mechanics also mentioned that I should not have been driving at all from the moment the warning message appeared on the car. BUT, GOD!
Psalm 34:7 (KJV) says, “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.” I am surrounded by his protection. The scriptures prove that God is a protector. I unknowingly faced potential danger through all those weeks I drove with that warning light on. Yet the truth of Psalm 46:1 (KJV) remained steadfast. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
I can recall three occurrences where I could have had an accident. The enemy wanted to take me out….BUT, GOD! He is my protector. I know he is as I continue to stay engulfed in the Word and have his truth poured over me. I know he is because he is true to who he is.
When you find yourself having trouble or are in trouble, turn to these scriptures for encouragement:
- Psalm 32:7 (KJV): Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah
- Isaiah 54:17 (KJV): No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
As men and women who live our lives in obedience to him, we are surrounded by songs of deliverance. We should never take for granted the authority we have in Christ. We know that we have no strength in and of ourselves. Our strength rests in God alone. We can endure. We can be bold; not because of who we are, but who he is.
- Isaiah 46:4 (KJV): Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
- Psalm 3:3 (KJV): But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
- Proverbs 30:5 (KJV): Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
- Psalm 18:30 (KJV): As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.
- Proverbs 18:10 (KJV): The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
God does not change. He is true to who he is and to his promises. In all we face, he goes ahead of us. When we run to the tower of God, we have true safety and security. Have you ever been in the middle of a rainstorm and trying to run for cover? Can you imagine when you run for cover with God? You are covered on every side and don’t have to worry about anything touching you or coming near you. “If God is for us, who [or what] can be against us?” Romans 8:31b, KJV
Look again at Psalm 46:1 (KJV):
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Focus on the word “very.” Synonyms for the word “very” include:
Extremely Exceedingly Exceptionally Tremendously
Significantly Remarkably Mightily Supremely
Immensely Extraordinarily Abundantly
The only time God is very present is when we’re in trouble. If you’re in trouble with your car, your finances, your job, your marriage, your children, or any other area of your life; then you can rely on God to be significantly present. Psalm 34 declares that he is close to those who are brokenhearted and crushed in their spirits. He will deliver us from all our afflictions.
God is extraordinarily present when we feel the worst. He is remarkably present when nothing is going right. Paul says it best in 2 Corinthians 4:17 (KJV), “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
I am so glad to be a Christian. I am grateful to be able to serve him as a nurse. I am so thankful to be a friend of God. I am so relieved that Jesus is my protector. In all we face, we are not alone.
ARhonda Osborne MSN, RN · NCF Professional Ministries Volunteer
You may download the link to the May Prayer and Praise calendar here.
May Prayer Calendar
Week One:
- May 1 – We give God praise for always being true to who he is. His character never changes. Remind us that you are our refuge and strength. Remind us that you are a very present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
- May 2 – NCF’s celebration of National Nurses Month has begun! We pray God uses the posts, events, blogs, and the Journal of Christian Nursing’s focus on the history of nursing to support and encourage students, faculty, and nurses in their faith and practice.
- May 3 – We are so grateful for the support and discussion surrounding April’s Journal Club and for nurse researcher Patricia Zrelak who discussed the ethical and biblical foundations of evidence-based practice and clinical trials. Patricia has such a wealth of knowledge, and everyone learned something new. NCF Student Ministries also hosted a student gathering before the webinar and a number of students participated. We are grateful for these times of connection and learning.
- May 4 – Please be praying for a faculty advisor who experienced a brain injury following a concussion for the last few months. The injury has led to a number of challenges. Pray for personal and professional challenges that are being experienced. Pray also that the planting of an NCF student chapter could move forward. We ask God to use this situation to bring honor and glory to him.
- May 5 – Pray for God to use the specially created A History of Faith for Nursing Bible study created around Hebrews 11 to deepen our faith and give us a better understanding of the hope we carry in us.
- May 6 – Pray for the planning team of Nurses Christian Fellowship International and the 2024 Quadrennial World Congress which will be held in Spain. The theme for the conference is God’s Love and Resources for Nurses and Midwives. We ask God to use this conference to encourage and lift up nurses from around the world.
Week Two:
- May 7 – God continues to build relationships through our Sunday night prayer group times. Pray for more students and nurses who need prayer, support, and encouragement to commit to participating as they are able. Use this time to draw us into deeper intimacy with you, God.
- May 8 – Transitions are a part of our families, but they are not always easy. We ask God to give wisdom, encouragement, and presence to Colleen Christenson’s family (NCF’s Nurse Staff Minister) as her parents move to another area of the country this month.
- May 9 – The first JCN writing contest produced new authors for JCN, including two stellar articles that took the top honors in the student and RN/faculty nurse categories. The JCN editors thank God for being able to read many nurses’ stories of how he is transforming them and working through their nursing care to bless patients with grace and mercy.
- May 10 – Praise God for the students who will be graduating this spring. Pray for success on their NCLEX licensing exams and that God will guide them to the jobs he has for each one.
- May 11 – 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 being present with individuals and families during times of crisis. We are greatly blessed to be nurses.
- May 12 – Lenior-Rhyne has a new faculty advisor, Susan, who just moved to the area and wants to help invigorate the NCF chapter there. Pray for Susan as she orients to her new role and community. Pray also for deep connection with the students.
- May 13 – Pray for ARhonda Osborne (NCF’s Professional Ministries Volunteer) and both of her daughters for strength, protection, and the removal of the barriers the enemy is placing in front of them. We ask God to maximize the opportunities to minister to each other and to others in their community.
Week Three:
- May 14 – We remember our physical mothers, our spiritual mothers, and the mothers who are a part of the nursing profession on this special Mother’s Day. May we continue to learn from their example and may be examples of faith, prayer, and love in the lives of our children and our communities.
- May 15 – Pray for graduating seniors who are saying they are nervous about starting their jobs this summer or fall. Pray for many of them to connect to NCF’s mentorship program and for safe places to debrief about the challenges they face.
- May 16 – Prayer for our quarterly journal clubs and for guest speakers who would be willing to speak about their articles. We also pray for more members and guests to attend and that God would always be honored.
- May 17 – Pray for NCF’s staff as they continue their support raising for ministry. Some are facing significant deficits before the close of the fiscal year (June 30). Pray for God to provide what is needed and provide wisdom as the budget is for next year’s ministry is developed.
- May 18 – We are grateful for the mentors and mentees who have been a part of the first year of our mentorship pilot. The feedback we’ve received has been encouraging, and we look forward to what’s ahead in the coming year.
- May 19 – We praise God for the many nurses across the country who have prayed for Mary Thompson following her diagnosis of lung cancer and the subsequent fall, broken sternum, and stroke she experienced. Her faith is a gift for all of us as she now connects with other residents and staff at the assisted living facility where she now lives – her new area for ministry.
- May 20 – Pray for Lara Kaiser, NCF’s Associate Director of Student Ministries, to make more connections with nurses and nursing schools in Jacksonville, Florida where she lives. Pray for openness to the ministry of Nurses Christian Fellowship.
Week Four:
- May 21 – 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 22 – Thank God along with the JCN staff for bringing forward two nurses with strong mental health expertise who are willing to begin a new mental health column in the journal, beginning in 2024.
- May 23 – Please continue to pray for nurses around the country who are tired, weary, and facing staff shortages as well as a lack of resources in their work environments. May they be reminded of God’s presence in their lives and that they are not alone in the challenges they face. May NCF be used in their lives to be a support and encouragement in their faith and their practice.
- May 24 – Pray for our Greater Houston NCF professional nurse group as the group leaders establish their group. NCF has a number of nurses in the area who have expressed interest in joining the group, but logistics need to be worked through first.
- May 25 – Pray for our faith community nurses and the different areas where they serve our community. May God provide insight, wisdom, sensitivity, and presence to the needs they face in their work and ministry.
- May 26 – Some faculty advisors are nervous about chapter longevity with many members graduating. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and trust with the many transitions they face in their student chapter groups.
- May 27 – Give wisdom, discernment, and creativity to Christy Secor, Jen Wojtysiak, and Lara Kaiser as we share with graduating seniors the value of being a part of NCF. May God use this outreach to strengthen the ministry and work of NCF.
Week Five:
- May 28 – Lara Kaiser contacted a Christian nursing department member at the University of North Florida last month. Pray that this faculty member would follow through on connecting with Lara and be interested in helping plant an NCF student group on campus.
- May 29 – We ask God to give our staff and volunteers the rest they need for the work they do, and the ministry outreach they are a part of each week. We are grateful for our ability to support and encourage one another as well as the opportunity to learn from the experiences and insights of each other.
- May 30 – We praise God for our professional nurse groups and their leaders. Grant wisdom and connection for our nurse group leaders who 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 in what he sees as possible through these groups.
- May 31 – Pray for courage and leading for students, faculty, and nurses who are praying about starting a student or professional nurse group. There can be many questions and the task can seem daunting. Pray for wisdom for Jen Wojtysiak, Lara Kaiser, and Katharine Provost who support our students and faculty, and for Christy Secor and Colleen Christenson who supports our professional nurse groups. May God bless and grow our groups as we share the good news of Jesus Christ.
