As nurses, we are hurting.
And as nurses, we are also healing.
We are providing healing to each other through our shared connections offering our presence, empathy, and support. We’re having conversations about our experiences – the challenges we face both personally and professionally. We are talking through our feelings and calling out the feelings we cannot find a name for. We are praying for each other. We are looking at scripture for truth. We are learning how to lament together.
I hear this experience shared by nurses who are a part of our professional nurse groups. I hear this from nurses who participate in our Tabletop Discussions. I hear this from nurses I get to have talk with one-on-one.
We are learning our feelings of isolation are not based on truth. We are not alone. We have a source of strength in our faith and in each other. Henri Nouwen in his book “You Are the Beloved” describes this paradox in this way:
Why do we keep hiding our deepest feelings from each other? We suffer much, but we also have great gifts of healing for each other. The mystery is that by hiding our pain we also hide our ability to heal. . . .
This journey of courage is not easy. We stumble. We fall. But together with God as our source of strength, we can also rise.
Christy Secor RN, DNP, CDWF, NCF Professional Ministries Director
Reference:
Nouwen, H. J. M. (2021, August 29). No hiding. https://henrinouwen.org/meditation/no-hiding/
You can download the September Prayer Calendar here.
September Prayer Calendar
- September 1 – We praise God for the great conversation and insights shared during our August Tabletop Discussion “When the Journey Is Too Much for You.” Skip McDonald gave each person space to be open, courageous, and to invite God into their place of pain. Pray for God to continue to use this webinar in the lives of nurses needing encouragement.
- September 2 – Pray for the many families who have recently been diagnosed with COVD, some who have lost loved ones, and others who have family members fighting for their lives. Please continue praying for God's healing.
- September 3 – The early part of September is full of “first” meetings for our NCF student groups around the country. Please pray that these meetings are well attended, and many nursing students are encouraged to participate.
- September 4 – Pray for nurses and midwives who have been personally affected by the earthquake, storm, or violence that has plagued the nation of Haiti, especially in recent weeks. Pray for those injured and for those who have lost family, friends, and homes.
- September 5 – We lift up nurses and other members of the healthcare team with the insurgence of Covid around the country. Pray for students, faculty, teachers, and parents who face uncertainty in the school year ahead. Pray that we would each be able to absorb what the Lord has for us in this season.
- September 6 – Pray for our NCF professional nurse group in Gainesville, Florida as they host their first meeting this evening. Pray for God to use this group in a mighty way to encourage and support nurses in their faith.
- September 7 – We praise God for a new contributing editor joining the Journal of Christian Nursing team. Pray for ease in their transition and for God to use their skills, gifts, and abilities in the JCN to support the faith and practice of nurses.
- September 8 – Pray for our faith community nurses who continue to face challenges where they serve. Some are finding their positions being eliminated and others are experiencing division where they serve. Pray for strength, strong communication, truth, and discernment in the decisions they make and wisdom for community leaders.
- September 9 – The East Texas NCF group will host a weekend retreat, REFRESH, in April 2022 for nurses and students in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Pray the “Save the Date” announcement will reach those who need to come and receive God’s promises of renewal as they explore how to walk more closely with him. Ask God to guide the retreat planners and speakers and to give them his wisdom as they prepare the retreat content.
- September 10 – Pray for Christian nurses and midwives living in Afghanistan whose lives have changed dramatically in the past weeks. Under the new rulers, many women will no longer be allowed to work, or their freedom of movement will be greatly restricted. As Christians, they and their families will be persecuted for their faith. Some may even be forced into marriage with non-believers. Pray that their faith will hold firm in these difficult situations.
- September 11 – We remember the loss of life which took place 20 years ago today as the twin towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a plane in rural Pennsylvania were attacked. Pray for the families of those who were lost and of first responders who died that day.
- September 12 – We praise God for the connections being made during our weekly Sunday evening times of prayer and the encouragement we are receiving from the Word. God is using the prayers of these nurses in the lives of so many. May God continue to bring others who need prayer and who are willing to pray for the needs of individuals and our profession.
- September 13 – Praise! Many student chapters are coming into fall with a renewed energy to launch groups. God is giving them courage and fresh passion! We are thankful to be a part of revival on campuses!
- September 14 – Pray for the Twin Cities NCF team as they meet together to further develop the content for their October 19th national webinar. Pray for nurses who are weary and experiencing frustration, isolation, and discouragement to receive fresh insights as we focus on “Who Is Going to Care for Me? Addressing the Challenges We Face in our Profession Today.”
- September 15 – Please be praying for the Global Missions Health Conference scheduled this year for November 11-13. After last year’s virtual conference, GMHC is again taking place in person. Pray that the pandemic is held at bay and many who are interested in healthcare missions will be able to attend and get helpful information that will be included in their career paths and in the building of God’s Kingdom.
- September 16 – Pray for wisdom, discernment, and good communication with each other as we transition from a JCN advisory board to an editorial board in January 2022.
- September 17 – Pray for nurses who are feeling burdened by the continued COVID pandemic and the emotional toil mandates and staffing shortages are having on the profession.
- September 18 – Pray for Skip McDonald, who serves NCF in the southeast, as she continues with her sabbatical. We ask God to use this as a time of restoration, writing, and training for future ministry for her.
- September 19 – Pray for Jessica Harper, Leanne Snavely, and Karen Schmidt, members of the NCF Marketing and Communications Team as they prepare fall promotions.
- September 20 – Pray for Jesus to be made known and that he would open eyes to our need of him. Pray that we would serve and follow what he teaches as we live. Pray for discernment and that we would not be led astray by the numerous political and cultural opinions being expressed.
- September 21 – Tonight NCF Student Ministries is hosting our next Monthly Student Ministry Online Gathering. Please pray that nursing students who are not connected to NCF on their campus will join us and are able to see the value in community that helps build their faith in their call to nursing.
- September 22 – Pray for wisdom and discernment for the Caribbean and North America (CANA) region of Nurses Christian Fellowship International as they plan for a regional conference in the fall of 2022.
- September 23 – We are grateful for the financial gifts and prayer support for the ministry of NCF. We ask for God to continue to move through nursing students, faculty, and nurses across the country as we provide resources and opportunities for connection among each of these groups.
- September 24 – Prayer for continued good relationships with our publisher as JCN staff adapt to changes in templates and processes.
- September 25 – Pray for those who are participating with Skip McDonald today in a guided silent retreat. We ask God to use this time for refreshment and renewal of each participant in all aspects of their lives … physically, mentally, and spiritually.
- September 26 – Pray for wisdom, encouragement, and discernment for NCF’s Director, Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner, as she leads both NCF and JCN. Ask God to lead as she manages the complexities of her roles and responsibilities at both work and home.
- September 27 – Nurses tell us they value having Christian resources. Pray for insight, creativity, and good use of our time as we develop new resources for students, faculty, and nurses. May God use these resources to build us into the people he has called us to be.
- September 28 – We praise God for each of our professional nurse group leaders and their commitment to supporting other nurses in their communities. We ask God for his direction and leading as our nurse group leaders gather together to encourage each other, study the scripture, and pray for one another.
- September 29 – Pray for NCF’s Student Ministries Director, Jen Wojtysiak, and her family as Jen is on sabbatical and spending time traveling, building her children and husband up, and seeking direction for NCF.
- September 30 – Pray for focus, wisdom, and insight for Christy Secor, NCF’s Professional Ministries Director, as she interacts with nurses who are interested in beginning a professional nurse group. May God bless and use these groups in miraculous ways as they provide safe places for support, prayer, and learning.
