Prayer Requests

Today as I looked at a list of prayer requests, I became acutely aware of the monotonous nature of what I saw. Someone asked for prayer for a legal situation. A grandfather asked for prayer regarding an especially emotionally draining situation with his grandson. A young woman asked for prayer regarding her mother’s back pain. Others asked for prayer for those who were ill or undergoing surgery.

I thought back on the events of my day. It is not uncommon for me to visit the homes of young moms who are trying to raise infants with serious health problems. Many do not gain weight like they should, some need intense therapy, and others desperately need heart surgery. Some of my mothers are struggling with drug addiction. Some have lost their children to child protective services because of abuse or neglect. And others are teen moms who are struggling to get through high school while raising their kids. And then there are the stories that I hear from my nursing friends. One of my colleagues is trying to find adequate care for her mother, who is suffering with Alzheimer’s and has developed pain that has not yet been diagnosed. Another friend watches people die in her ER routinely.

As a nurse, it is not uncommon to be thrown into the most painful places in people’s lives. It is easy to begin to become numb to what is going on around me. I hear of surgeries and illnesses and it seems so routine to me. I almost want to say, “So what’s the big deal?” But it would be a big deal if the affected person were someone that I am close to, if I were the one hurting.

Lord, there are so many people in crisis and pain around me. Please open my eyes to their real needs, and open my ears to hear their hurts. And when my eyes and ears have seen and heard enough, please open my mouth in intercession to You. And as I see prayers answered, may I always give glory to Your Name.