These prayers for the sick are written for anyone who is ill, for a family member in a hospital bed, or for a friend waiting on test results. You can pray them at a bedside, in the car before a appointment, or late at night when sleep will not come. Read them aloud exactly as written, or use them as a starting point and speak your own words where the prayer falls short of what your heart needs to say.
Prayers for the Sick
Lord, you know the body I am asking you about, and you know every hour of pain, fear and tiredness that comes with it. I bring this illness to you without pretending it is small. Be near to the one who is sick, in the night when the pain wakes them and in the morning when the first thought is dread. Steady their breathing, ease what hurts, and give the doctors and nurses wisdom, patience and careful hands.
Father, I also bring you the questions I cannot answer. I do not know how long this will last or how it will end, but I know you have not lost track of this person for a single moment. Give them courage for the next step and rest for the step after that. If healing is your will, let it come soon, and if the road is longer, walk it with them so they are never alone on it. Let their family and friends feel your nearness too, and keep our hearts from turning bitter or hopeless while we wait.
Thank you for the small mercies already here: a kind word from a nurse, a meal brought to the door, a moment of sleep that came without warning. Teach us to notice them and to thank you for them. Hold this person in your hands, Lord, and bring them back to strength and to the people who love them, or give them peace in your presence if that is the path ahead. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, this person is sick and I am afraid for them. Be close to them right now, ease the pain and calm the fear. Give the doctors wisdom and give them rest, and hold them in your hands. Whatever comes next, let them know they are not alone. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 41:3
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.
(WEB)
Pray this verse as a request for strength in the sickbed. Ask God to sustain the sick person when they are too weak to get up, and to restore them to health in his own time.
Psalm 147:3
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
(WEB)
Use this verse to bring God the broken places, both in the body and in the heart. Thank him that he is the one who binds wounds and does not look away from them.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
(WEB)
Read this slowly over someone who is afraid. Pray that they would feel God’s nearness and support, especially in the hours when fear is loudest.
James 5:14-15
14 Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, 15 and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
(WEB)
Pray this passage for the sick person and for the believers who gather around them. Ask that prayer, and the care of the community, would be a real means of comfort and strength.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
(WEB)
Bring the weary to Jesus with this invitation in mind. Pray that the sick person would find rest in him, even when their body cannot yet rest.
How to Pray This Prayer
Many people find it helpful to pray for the sick at a set time each day, such as early morning with the first cup of coffee or in the evening before bed. Keep a copy of the prayer by the bedside, in your purse, or on your phone so it is ready when worry strikes in the middle of a busy afternoon. If you can, pray with your hands busy or resting on the person’s arm or blanket, since touch can make a prayer feel more personal to someone who is ill.
Invite someone else to pray with you, whether a spouse, a friend from church, or a family member on the other side of the country. Take turns reading the lines aloud, and let each person add a sentence of their own. When you finish, sit quietly for a minute and let the words settle before you speak again.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord bless the one who is sick and keep them through every long night. May he strengthen their body, quiet their fears and surround them with people who love them. May the peace of God, which is greater than any worry, guard their heart and mind in the days ahead.
