Article originally on the Evangelical Alliance Website
We asked some local doctors to help us understand how to best pray for them and their colleagues at this time. May these points help us as we pray:
We asked some local doctors to help us understand how to best pray for them and their colleagues at this time. May these points help us as we pray:
- Guarding from guilt: with a strong vocational call and a call to step up in this season, many who are having to self isolate for their own health or those of their household and/ or restrict patient contact are feeling a sense of guilt of not being frontline – please pray that they know the Fathers comfort and assurance that they are valued and vindicated in their decision to care for themselves and their families.
- Prayer over marriages: particularly those where both are key workers. The rota demands and childcare challenges can make thresholds of grace lower and a sense of frustration or resentment can ruminate. Please pray for protection over marriages and for good communication and courage as a couple to draw boundaries to honour their marriage and their family.
- Wisdom for childcare: for those needing child care to provide frontline care there is the balance between work demands and placing, not only their own children, but additional carers at risk of infection. This burden of care for both children and carers is hard to carry, especially if there is fear on the side of carers. Please pray for good channels of communication between parents and carers and wisdom to discern how to provide and facilitate what is needed for all parties
- As medical professionals in the NHS, we are urged to deliver gold standard care to every patient. In the current situation where we are needing to provide is best care (not gold standard) for as many as possible, so many will carry a sense of responsibility for those who suffer as a result of this crisis. Please pray that medical staff can rest in the sovereignty of God – that their privilege and responsibility is to bring their loaves and fishes (as meagre as they seem in the midst of great need) and can trust God to bring the increase and meet the need. It can feel overwhelming with a burden of care hard to carry – pray medics can learn to play their part, but hand the outcome over to the goodness and sovereignty of God.
- For courage and peace that as we minister in the name of Jesus into this unprecedented experience for the NHS, we would be salt and light to colleagues and patients that we care for.