How to pray for our Health Workers

The below was written by Liz Thompson - one of our Church Members who is also a Paediatrician. She's put together some helpful thoughts on how we can pray well for our Health Workers amidst the current Coronavirus Pandemic. 

There's a lot of talk about NHS heroes - but essentially these workers are simply human beings placed in difficult circumstances. Most of us do not feel heroic and everyone has their own level of anxiety and frustration, and are just muddling along the best we can, trying the do the best we can for our patients. And as imperfect Christians, we are not immune from feelings of being overwhelmed.

Below are some suggestions for your prayers:

1. For those planning and making decisions about services, increasing capacity in hospitals and intensive care - that there would be wisdom and clarity

2. For adequate equipment - in particular, personal protective equipment such as masks and aprons to be in adequate supply with clarity as to when and how to use them.

3. For staff who are being asked to work in different areas than their usual area - they need to learn new skills quickly, and working outside of your usual comfort zone increases stress and anxiety

4. For front line workers who are already feeling the strain of increased sickness rates and being understaffed, and as hospitals get busier this will become more of an issue

5. For ethics committees which have been set up to help with difficult decisions

6. For relationships at work - as people get busier and people deal with their own anxieties relationships can become strained

7. For staff who will see less of their families - some staff may choose not to be with their families if a member becomes ill so they do not need to stay off work as long while the family isolates for example

8. Pray for the anxiety of knowing they may be putting their family at risk by working in these areas. Also being unavailable to help care for their own vulnerable family members, due to time pressures or a desire to stay away to keep them safe, brings stress

9. Pray for all the other vital staff such as porters, domestics, admin staff who are often overlooked but are key to the functioning of the hospital

10. Pray for Christians to be good witnesses in this time of crisis - displaying the radiant hope that is within us, being sensitive to the needs & fears of others and selfless in our service - doing all things to His glory, even as we face our own frustrations and difficulties and natural anxiety that occurs, remembering that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in our weaknesses

11. Pray we would all maintain our compassion towards patients when there are so many to care for and so little time.