That is still the job: run toward the person everyone else walks past, treat them on the roadside, and get them to help. These prayers are for the people who do it every shift.
Historical Context
Paramedics and EMTs carry a particular weight: they see people on the worst day of their lives, often several times a shift, and then go home and try to be normal. Praying for them means praying for their safety, their skill, and what the job does to their hearts.
A Paramedic’s Prayer Before a Shift
Lord, I don’t know what calls are coming today.
Give me steady hands, a clear head and a calm voice.
Let me get there in time, and keep my partner and me safe on the road.
Help me treat every patient with dignity,
including the ones who make it hard.
And when I’ve done everything I can, help me leave the rest to you.
St Michael, pray for us.
Amen.
After a Hard Call
Lord, we couldn’t save them.
I keep going over it in my head.
Receive the one we lost, and comfort their family.
Take this weight off me, or help me carry it well.
Help me talk about it with someone instead of burying it.
Amen.
For a Paramedic’s Family
Lord, my husband (wife, son, daughter) runs toward danger for a living.
Keep them safe tonight.
When they come home quiet, help me know how to love them.
Amen.
For All EMS Crews
Lord, bless every ambulance crew and dispatcher on duty tonight.
Clear the roads ahead of them.
Give them skill, courage and rest when the shift ends.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- At the start of a shift, in the rig or at the station.
- After a traumatic call or a death in the field.
- During EMS Week each May.
- On 29 September, the feast of St Michael.
- For a family member who works in EMS, each night they’re on.
Scripture Connection
“But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds.” — Luke 10:33–34
“Went to him” is the whole job description. Jesus told the story to answer the question “Who is my neighbour?” Paramedics answer it every shift, for strangers, at all hours.
Related prayers
For the voice on the radio, see the Dispatcher Prayer. Firefighters have the Fire Force Prayer, and police officers the Police Officer Prayer. St Michael’s own prayer is on the Saint Michael Prayer page.