Nurses, doctors, and other health workers are our first line of defense against unseen foes. When the COVID-19 virus spread, they were the frontline workers and heroes of the battle, working long shifts and risking their lives to save many of us. Being a healthcare worker can mean under-compensation and overtime on top of years of rigorous training, but it’s worth it once they see cancer patients returning to full health or the gravely injured become fully healed. In diligence, there is exhaustion, and in caregiving, there is stress.
The Lord will sustain us and grant us the strength of mind, heart, and body, and He will reward us for our diligent service to others. May these prayers for nurses and hospital workers help us get through long shifts and busy days.
Prayer for nurses and doctors
God, our Mighty Healer,
Your masterful hands created this beautiful, complex world we live in, as well as the creatures that live in it. It is Your hands that scold us gently whenever we sin against You, and it is them that guide us back on the right track. It is Your hands, warm and caring, that nurse us back to health whenever we are weak and sick. How blessed I am to have a mighty and loving heavenly Father who is always keeping a watchful and protective eye over me and my dearest ones.
Oftentimes, I am a disobedient child, following my whims and earthly passions with no regard for Your laws and plans. Forgive me for my foolish transgressions, O Lord, for my selfishness and ignorance. There is evil that lurks in all walks of life, and only the light of Your glory can drive it away. Shine Your goodness and love into my life and scold me gently. Have mercy upon me and redirect me into the path to heaven. Like a lost sheep, I will follow the call of Your voice, for You are my loving Shepherd, and You will always protect me and never forsake me.
Thank You for this wonderful life that I live, which I often take for granted. Thank You for the air I breathe and the clouds overhead, for the chirping birds and the sound of cars and laughter. Thank You for the education I have, a privilege that I know not many can afford. Thank You for my good health and the well-being of my family members, a gift we are grateful for. Thank You for my job and career path, which enables me to apply my skills and fulfill my purpose while sustaining the needs of my family. There are many more blessings to count, and my mouth would run dry before I could finish naming them all. I praise You for Your unfailing love and provision.
Keep me safe from all harm as I tend to the sick and the dying. Grant me the wisdom I need to make the right decisions that will best benefit my patients and those under my care. Their lives rely on the choices I make for them, and I pray that You will guide me with this great responsibility. May You use my skills and experience to heal the sick and nourish the needy. May my hands soothe their bodies and heal their wounds. Under Your care through me, may they heal and recover from their ailments and disabilities.
This I pray in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Short prayer for nurses and doctors
Our Heavenly Counselor and King, as I put on my uniform and protective equipment, I pray that You will guide my hands as I heal the sick and perform my duties as a healthcare professional. Grant me guidance and heavenly wisdom so I can make the right choices for my patients. Give me strength and endurance so I can meet the demands of my job and work effectively. Lord God, I place my trust and faith in You. Amen.
The Word of God
We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Romans 15:1 NRSVUE
Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.’
Deuteronomy 15:11 NRSVUE
But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”
2 Chronicles 15:7 NRSVUE
Intercessory prayer to Saint Camillus de Lellis
Blessed Saint Camillus,
Bless the work of my hands as I use them to heal the sick and give comfort to the suffering. It is only through God that I can heal them, and I pray that He will use me to soothe their pains and ease their suffering.
My job is far from easy, and you’ve seen how it has taken a toll on me. You’ve witnessed the draining exhaustion I felt after a long shift and the pressure of always having to make the best choice in order to save the lives of countless patients. Although I chose this career path and took on these responsibilities, I know I cannot make it if I am alone in this journey. Saint Camillus, join me in prayer to the Lord as I ask for strength and perseverance. The world needs more health workers like me, and I cannot stop now: I have diseases to heal and patients to care for.
With this prayer for medical workers, I seek the Lord’s guidance and wisdom through you. With each passing hurdle, I pray that I will grow wiser and more appreciative of my own blessings and this great responsibility and duty that I am entrusted with. I also pray for other nurses, doctors, and hospital workers everywhere, especially those who are struggling worse than I am. May you watch over them and give them strength and motivation each day. Be with me as I fulfill my duties in the hospital or clinic.
Saint Camillus de Lellis, pray for me. Amen.
Further reflection
We wake up early, and we sleep late, tending to the needs of patients and doing our best to give them the best care possible. We try to ignore our exhaustion, mentally encouraging ourselves to keep going.
Being a nurse, doctor, or any kind of hospital worker is something not everyone is made for. It takes years of rigorous training, and once we’ve finished our studies, we begin working a fast-paced medical career that will often leave us with less time to recuperate. It’s easy to feel burned out and ready to give up, but always remember why we started. We started because people are sick and dying everywhere, because there are people who suffer from illnesses and need our help. It may not be easy, but our acts of service have changed and helped more lives than we think.
So the next time we feel tired or close to giving up, offer this prayer for healthcare workers to the Lord, and He will give us strength.
