Pray First: The Chaplain’s Lifeline

“Pray when it’s the first option instead of waiting until it’s the only option.”

For police and fire chaplains, prayer can easily become something we reach for when the situation is already overwhelming—a critical incident, a grieving family, an officer or firefighter struggling, or a responder facing a crisis of faith. But prayer was never intended to be the chaplain’s spare tire, only to be used in times of need. Prayer is our lifeline.

Prayer is more than talking to God; it is connecting with Him. If we want a deep relationship with God, communication cannot be occasional or reserved for emergencies. It must become part of the rhythm of our lives.

The life of Jesus gives us the clearest example. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly withdrew to pray, prayed before significant events, prayed for others, prayed publicly and privately, and even prayed for those who were crucifying Him. Jesus was a man of prayer.

He also gave us a simple invitation:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” — Matthew 7:7

That is an important word for chaplains. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking.

Our work often puts us in situations where we desperately want God to intervene. We pray for healing, restoration, protection, reconciliation and peace. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes it is no. And sometimes the hardest answer is not yet.

We may not always understand why God says no. We may struggle with the waiting of “not yet.” But the goal of prayer is not simply to get God to change our circumstances. Sometimes God uses prayer to change us.

Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 is a powerful model. He doesn't begin by asking God to remove every difficulty. He prays that God's people would be “empowered with inner strength through his Spirit” and that their roots would grow deep into God's love.

That is a prayer every chaplain can pray—not only for responders, but for ourselves.

Before we can consistently provide spiritual care to others, we need to cultivate our own spiritual health. Psalm 139 gives us a model:  “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”

Chaplaincy exposes us to the pain, trauma, grief, and brokenness of the world. We need regular spiritual examination. We need to give God permission to reveal what is unhealthy in us and remove what doesn't belong.

Pray for the Responder and Their Family

Our prayers should extend beyond the call and into the lives of the people we serve. Pray for marriages, children, parents and families. First responders carry the weight of their profession home with them, and their families often carry it too.

When you learn that an officer, firefighter, dispatcher, or EMS provider is struggling at home, don't simply offer encouragement—pray.

And when you pray, remember that prayer should lead to a response. If we pray for someone's marriage, perhaps our response is to walk alongside them. If we pray for someone experiencing pain, our response may be presence, compassion, and practical care.

Pray for Those Who Are Hurting and Searching

As chaplains, we regularly encounter people who may be far from God. Sometimes we meet them on what may be one of the worst days of their lives.

Pray for them.

Pray that they would experience God's love. Pray for opportunities to demonstrate that love through kindness, compassion, and presence. Pray for wisdom to know when to speak and when simply to sit with someone in their pain.

We may never know what God is doing beneath the surface of a conversation, a hospital visit, a death notification, or a quiet moment in a patrol car.

Pray First

Pray before the call – Pray during the call – Pray after the call

Pray before walking into the station. Pray before sitting down with a grieving family. Pray before meeting with a responder who is struggling. Pray before a difficult conversation. And pray after the conversation, trusting God with what happens next.

So before anything else…PRAY.

Pray persistently. Pray honestly. Pray for yourself. Pray for the responders entrusted to your care. Pray for their families. Pray for those who are hurting and searching for hope.

And when you don't know what to pray, return to Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit… Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.”

That is a prayer worth praying—for every responder we serve, and for every chaplain who serves them.

Know that I am praying for you and am grateful that you are Serving the Shield.

Jeff A. Rosenberry
Spiritual Care Coordinator