Lent

NCFI Cares: Quick Prayers for Lent

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After he (Jesus) fasted for 40 days and 40 nights he was famished. (Matthew 4:2)

As we enter the beginning of Lent, 40 days before the Passion of Christ and Easter, many of us are seeking the Lord’s guidance in giving up something or adding something.

Some everyday things Christians give up for Lent are favorite foods and drinks, like chocolate,  coffee, or alcohol, or specific food pleasures, such as eating out, desserts, or meat. Others may give up an activity, like phone time, watching movies, or other distractions. When I asked Google AI, I received additional responses, including sleeping without a pillow, abstaining from gossiping, or refraining from following/watching social media postings. To add a little bit of humor, my favorite activity Google AI noted was to give up “being a backseat driver.” – I have to admit—my husband would probably enjoy my 40-day struggle—LOL!

Humor aside, I think the Lenten period is not only a time to meditate on our Lord’s suffering; it is a time to add habits to our walk with the Lord while growing closer to him and his sufferings. Some of those daily habits include reading your Bible, adding another prayer time, reading a Lenten devotion, attending church or Bible study, and others.

Since I am the NCFI prayer chair, I would make the following suggestions focused on Christian Nurses:

Choose to pray for one of the following :

Your national fellowship and nurses in your country
Nurses at your work, church, and community
International nurses and regional nurses
A global health issue that’s concerning
NCFI people

At first, adding more prayer to our already busy and over-committed lives sounds overwhelming, yet it doesn’t take more time to send quick prayers to the Lord. Especially if you have given up something for Lent. For example, whenever you think of chocolate, immediately pray, “Lord, I lift up all the nurses at my workplace and trust you with their care.” Or something along those lines.

Another list of suggestions focused on Christian nurses are:

Choose to do one of the following:

Send an encouraging text or email to a nurse or healthcare professional. It can be kind words, scripture, etc (Let the Holy Spirit guide you)
Post on a social media platform an encouraging comment for nurses to read
Bring goodies or something to share to work
Invite a colleague to a Christian nursing event (prayer, journal club, etc)

Spend the next few days seeking the Holy Spirit in ways he would have you grow closer to our Lord through this period of Lent.

NCFI Cares: 40 Days of Kindness

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Depending on your
faith tradition, you may mark the 40 day Lenten season by fasting from food or
refraining from a specific pleasurable activity (no chocolate, no watching,
t.v, etc). At the same time, when we seek to somehow impart the love and grace
of Christ louder during this season, the sacrifice of doing something positive
can impact our colleagues and patients. In fact, these simple acts of kindness
with purposeful presence exemplify the living Christ (Ephesians 5:1). Thus,
instead of just sacrificing our personal pleasures, lets reach-out daily for
the work of Christ during Lent.
The
following are suggestions to be done daily–choose one!
  • simple
    acts of kindness to your colleagues (helping, completing a task, buying a
    coffee or tea, etc…)
  • a
    private prayer for every patients, students, colleagues in your care
  • pray for
    NCFI daily OR pray for one person in your region every day!
  • use
    social media, texting, email, etc to share/send a kind word
  • say a
    kind word to someone (let the Holy Spirit bring them to you!)

      The above list is just a sampling, thus feel free to do
something else. These acts are also, not a substitute for how you participate
in the Lenten season through your church. Instead, it is a way to open our
heart to new ways the Lord works in our lives while sacrificing personal
comfort (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Grace & Peace,

Carrie