Nightly Prayer: For Teachers, Leaders, and Caregivers

A Prayer for Teachers, Leaders, and Caregivers

Your Nightly Prayer

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“And the King will answer them; ‘Truly I say to you, as you did to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:40

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Honour the quiet service of those who pour out for others.

I try not to eavesdrop, but sometimes it's hard. I recently heard two people engaged in an animated conversation about someone in need. One party posed the question, “Shouldn’t we do something? How might we help?” To this, their conversation partner responded by quoting an old Polish proverb: “Well, it’s not my circus, they are not my monkeys!” By this phrase, the person distanced themselves from the one in need.

Jesus calls us to each other. He speaks openly about the need to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, and heal the sick. The people that are easy to ignore, to push away from us, are his brothers and sisters. More astoundingly, Jesus states that in their plight we see him. “As you did to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to me”, Jesus says.

As followers of Jesus, we are called to see the plight of others as deeply affecting us. Someone in need can never be pushed aside; their situation can never be seen as “not a part of my circus” because their lives are united to Jesus. The daring call of our faith is to say about others – even people we would choose to distance ourselves from – that they ARE our people, because we see Jesus in them, and we see Jesus as them.

In the needy, in the poor, in the homeless and the addicted, in all those who suffer injustice, we see the suffering Messiah. What, then, does it mean to serve Christ in need?

Sometimes we think this is more complicated than it needs to be. People reach out to others day in and day out. When teachers care not just for test scores, but for the livelihood and flourishing of the children in the class room, they are acting as Jesus; when counsellors work tirelessly for the someone’s inner healing, they wrap their arms around someone Jesus loves; when leaders care for others rather than their own status, they treat others as a brother and sister in Christ; and when doctors and nurses give dignity to their patients, they are treating the sick before them as Jesus himself.

What might it mean to see Jesus in the people of your profession? What might it mean to incarnate the love of Christ where you work? How might you treat those you work with, even those who frustrate you, as if Jesus himself stood before you?

Our faith is to be lived out for the sake of the world. We are called to give ourselves in loving service to others, just as Christ gave himself for our redemption, healing, and life.

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Lord, I thank you for those who have served me in the name of Christ. I thank you for the leaders who have guided me into joy and flourishing; for the teachers who have given me their time, their attention, and their knowledge; I thank you for those who have cared for me: the doctors, nurses, counsellors, and aides. Bless them, mighty God, and return unto them, tenfold, the blessings they have bestowed upon others.

Father, I hear your call to serve the people around me; to pour my life out as you poured yours out for me. I pray that you give me eyes to see your presence in the people around me. May the Spirit in me help me to respond to the Spirit at work in the lives of those who are in need. Help me discern where I am called to serve, and give me the faithful boldness to enter that work. I pray this in the name of the Father who creates, the Son who redeems, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies and sustains. Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

What is the biggest need in the lives of those closest to you? How might you be God’s agent of peace or healing?
Matthew 25 outlines the call to welcome the stranger. How might you show someone welcome this week?
Is there a teacher, a leader, or a doctor/nurse who has blessed you? Take a moment and pray a prayer of thanksgiving for them.

Reflect on tonight’s prayer and share how God met you there. Join the Your Nightly Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada. He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

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