December 9, 2008 7:12 PM
Prayer for passing ambulance
Barbara,
Whenever I see an ambulance or a firetruck, I always want to say a prayer for the person sick or injured and the emergency workers on their way to help. But I am not good at coming up with words on the spot, and my prayers end up confused and jumbled. I have been searching all over for a prayer to memorize to say at those times, but all I can find is a bunch of advice that I should say a prayer. ;) Do you know of a good, short, prayer that I can memorize and teach my kids to say when we hear the sirens?
Michelle
I googled and came up with nothing. Anyone know a good prayer to teach children?
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Because this has led to a discussion of the merits/error of memorized prayer, please go here for any further comments.
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Comments
My boys and I always say a "Hail Mary" - asking the Mother of God to pray for the person and the responders (we also say this when a fire truck goes by).
Posted by: Anne | December 9, 2008 8:23 PM
We always say a "Hail Mary", it's short and easy.
It's just so neat to see the kids pray whenever they hear a siren.
Posted by: Jennifer | December 9, 2008 9:07 PM
Long time lurker, first time commenter :)
In Catholic school, we were always taught to say a "Hail Mary" when we heard a passing ambulance. We would stop and pray if we heard one passing during class.
Now my children and I will say a "Hail Mary", or "Mary, Help of the Sick, pray for those in distress"
I often turn to the Blessed Mother when sick or in pain. I guess you always want your mother, huh? :)
Posted by: Aimee | December 9, 2008 9:34 PM
I'm not Catholic, but we always pray when passing an accident site or ambulance.
Sometimes it's as short as "Father help them"... to "Father surround that ambulance with your protection. Have mercy and bring healing to anyone who is sick or in pain. Amen"
Posted by: Tracie | December 9, 2008 10:19 PM
I was taught to say, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph go with them." I still say it.
Posted by: Lisa Klein | December 9, 2008 10:21 PM
I always say, "Lord, please bless them, and those they go to help or protect," when I hear a siren (so that includes police and fire trucks as well as ambulances).
Posted by: Jessica Snell | December 10, 2008 12:38 AM
Instead of a memorized prayer, I'd just voice a heartfelt prayer... that God would heal those who were hurt, that doctors would have wisdom and skill in treating them, and that this event might draw those people involved into an even deeper relationship with and dependence on the Father.
Posted by: Jess @ Making Home | December 10, 2008 3:22 AM
Jess,
You are assuming that a memorized prayer cannot be heartfelt. This is a common misconception among Evangelicals - that traaditional prayers are somehow not as worthy as conversational prayer.
This is not true.
A memorized prayer can be said with the same heart and intention and be just as worthy in God's eyes, I'm sure. And I've heard plenty of spontaneous evangelical prayer that sounded like it was on automatic pilot.
Think of the Pledge of Allegiance - what would you think if someone told you it was meaningless because you'd memorized it? On the contrary, as your understanding and appreciation of our country grows, it means even more.
So too the prayers we memorize. Jesus told us to say the Our Father. It is up to us to invest it with meaning.
Like the Our Father, the Hail Mary is straight from the Bible. I think since God chose Mary to be the mother of His son - the arc of the new covenant, so to speak - it doesn't displease Him for us to repeat the words His angel used in greeting Her and to ask for her intercession (which is completely biblical as well).
Posted by: barbara | December 10, 2008 6:33 AM
My kids and I just simply say, Jesus help the person who needs help. Amen. It started short and sweet because my oldest son has autism and also a speech disorder. It was hard for him to talk. Fortunately, he talks like crazy now, but the prayer is still the same. They now remind me to say the prayer.
Posted by: Sara | December 10, 2008 6:56 AM
Matt 6:7
But when praying, do not say the same things over and over again, just as the people of the nations do, for they imagine they will get a hearing for their use of many words. 6:8 So, do not make yourselves like them, for God your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him.
Posted by: Sillyhpj | December 10, 2008 7:06 AM
A kindergarten teacher who worked in the same building as me taught his students to pray at the sound of a siren.
Also, DaHubby and I both used to work in the law enforcement area so we know the danger the first responders often put themselves in.
Finally, since we live on the main street that runs to our local regional hospital, we have gotten in the habit of saying something like: "Dear Jesus, keep those that are helping safe and make those who they're helping well."
Posted by: Beth/Mom2TwoVikings | December 10, 2008 7:37 AM
I always think of the extended family that exists outside of the ambulance (whether those of the workers or the patient) and pray for the peace for both those inside and outside the ambulance but are directly affected by the situation. I pray too for the wisdom of those involved.
Posted by: Laura | December 10, 2008 8:22 AM
We were always taught to say a "Hail Mary", it must go waaay back!
Posted by: carolyn | December 10, 2008 1:01 PM
I typically just pray that God will cover those involved and guide the medical team.
Posted by: lauren | December 10, 2008 2:40 PM
Thanks for all the advice! I really like this simple prayer that someone mentioned: "Father surround that ambulance with your protection. Have mercy and bring healing to anyone who is sick or in pain. Amen." I probably won't say a Hail Mary just because it's not much more specific than what I currently say, which is an Our Father. ;)
I don't want to get into the whole argument over memorized prayer, but I will say this. I am a person who has a lot of trouble putting my feelings into words. I rely a lot on Romans 8:26 for assurance that even when I cannot express myself, God understands. I have definitely prayed in "groans that words cannot express." I am not at all lacking in the emotional, heartfelt side of prayer, and sometimes it's nice to have words at the ready to go with the feelings. That is why I like memorized prayer; I don't see it as any different than singing well-loved hymns.
Posted by: Michelle Potter | December 11, 2008 6:09 PM
Fellow Catholic convert here. (I made my first commitment to Christ in a Baptist church at age 14, and became a catholic at 21 -- 40 years ago.) I always pray "Lord, have mercy" when I hear a siren (ambulance, fire truck, police). The unspoken part of the prayer is "Lord, you know who is in trouble and needs your help!" This is what I taught my children, and the kids in my religious education classes.
Posted by: Jacqueline Y. | December 13, 2008 5:26 PM
we usually say, "eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,........" and Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we love you, save souls!!! and it is good to do this because once i didn't pray for an ambulance because i was in and out of sleep/very tired and little did i know the next day that those sirens were for someone that i loved very dearly and she died that night.
Posted by: regan | December 14, 2008 1:44 PM
