Blessings And Prayers For Caregivers

This book provides encouragement for the realities of daily care giving challenges. Through brief Gospel-focused readings and Scripture verses, this small book offers refreshment and renewal for the exhausted caregiver. Each reading focuses on Jesus as the source of our hope and strength.

As You Give Care, God is Caring for You Caring for someone with health needs can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. Sarah Forgrave has spent considerable time, both as someone struggling with serious medical issues and as the family member of a chronically ill patient, and she understands the many challenges you face in your caregiving role. Sarah wants to share what she discovered with you—peace through prayer, solace in Scripture, and unending hope from a Heavenly Father who never stops loving you. Each heartfelt prayer and devotion is intended to help you navigate the complex set of emotions that come with caregiving. Read it front to back or go directly to the devotion addressing how you feel at any given moment...when you need it most. Take comfort in the truth that God knows your every need as a caregiver and is always there for you amid your toughest trials.

As You Give Care, God is Caring for You Caring for someone with health needs can be emotionally, physically, and spiritually draining. Sarah Forgrave has spent considerable time, both as someone struggling with serious medical issues and as the family member of a chronically ill patient, and she understands the many challenges you face in your caregiving role. Sarah wants to share what she discovered with you—peace through prayer, solace in Scripture, and unending hope from a Heavenly Father who never stops loving you. Each heartfelt prayer and devotion is intended to help you navigate the complex set of emotions that come with caregiving. Read it front to back or go directly to the devotion addressing how you feel at any given moment...when you need it most. Take comfort in the truth that God knows your every need as a caregiver and is always there for you amid your toughest trials.

Each of the 124 prayers in this book offers a powerful source of strength and consolation, a brief quotation from the Bible or another source, several lines of reflection, and a closing petition. While praying, we remind ourselves that God stands with us in our caregiving, and He assures us that our prayers are heard and answered.

As our population ages, the number of caregivers is rapidly increasing. Today, 1 in 12 Americans cares for a family member who is ill, disabled, or dying. Studies show that nearly two-thirds of caregivers rely on prayer to help them cope. This easy, practical guide to prayer addresses the needs and concerns of caregivers.

Who Is a Caregiver? A caregiver is anyone who is called upon to care for the needs of another. It might be as little as calling your dad a couple of times a week to make sure he is ok, or bringing meals to someone and taking them to doctors appointments. Then there are the full-time caregivers who have dedicated their lives to the complete care of another. This book is dedicated to all who care enough to do tangible things, helping someone who needs you. It is estimated that nearly one in five Americans is involved in caregiving at some level, and the number is rising rapidly. Sadly, studies also show that the general health and wellbeing of caregivers has declined and as our population ages, the need for more caregivers will increase. Providing care for a family member or friend can be rewarding and provide a real sense of purpose, but also poses challenges for the caregiver. There are many resources available that seek to educate and empower caregivers about how to perform caregiving tasks, but I have noted there is a huge need for caregivers to be encouraged, blessed, and given hope! In this book, I share true stories of my life as a caregiver. It is so important to know that you are not alone! The feelings and challenges you are experiencing are hard for even your closest family and friends to truly understand, but you’ll see in these stories that you can truly have joy in the midst of your difficulty. I pray that my book will provide encouragement, joy and hope! Phil Leichliter “Phil takes you by the hand and shares with you his love and gratitude. His book helps you prepare for moments of joy and of pain – the nuance of the simplest suggestions and the most meaningful responses, allowing you to provide compassionate care. Savor this book. Your heart will open.” Andrea Zanko, MS, Genetic Counselor, University of California at San Francisco, Genetics Clinic, (Retired), Creator of the UCSF Huntington’s Disease Clinic

Taking seriously Paul s exhortation in 1 Thessalonians to pray without ceasing, Deborah van Deusen Hunsinger challenges pastors and congregations to put prayer at the center of their Christian practice and theological reflection. In this thought-provoking book Hunsinger reclaims spiritual practices from token use and unites them in a dynamic network of interdependent caring traditions. The book begins with the three foundational disciplines of spiritual reading, careful listening, and self-reflection. Hunsinger then explores prayers of petition, intercession, confession, lament, and thanksgiving. Finally she offers practical, workable suggestions for developing pastoral care groups and teaching care-giving skills at the congregational level. Clergy and laity alike will reap the benefits of this revitalizing look at the spiritual disciplines as dynamic forces in the life of the church.

Caregiving is an opportunity to give back to those who have cared for us, but caregivers can often find themselves being worn down by their important, demanding work. In Prayers for Caregivers, author Patti Normile helps caregivers voice their anxiety, fatigue, care, and faith. With a special introduction by Rev. Daniel H. Grossoehme, this revised edition will help all caregivers nourish their spirits and find the encouragement and grace to care for themselves so that they can better care for others. "Patti Normile's prayers relay hope to the caregiver that God has trust in us to do a job that He himself would do. She speaks with reverence and the honesty that comes with true relationships." Marcy Schutte, Hospice Nurse