Prayers & scripture
Prayers for the sick: comfort and recovery for someone you love
Prayers for the sick, for a parent, a child, a spouse or a friend in treatment. Pray them aloud, send a short one by text, or keep one by the bed. Each is labeled by tradition.
By Jon Horton · Updated
17 prayers for the sick
Choose by length or tradition. Everything can be copied, sent as a text or printed.
17 of 17 prayers
Length
Tradition
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 69 words
For a family member who is sick
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, you gave us this family, and now one of us is sick. Be close to them in the places we can't reach. Ease their pain. Give them rest.
Help the rest of us to be patient and kind, to say the right thing and, when we can't, to stay quiet and stay near. Keep us together. Heal what is hurting, and heal whatever worry is hurting us. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 87 words
For a parent who is sick
Original prayer for pastor.care
God, my mother (or father) took care of me for years, and now the roles are turning. It is strange and sad to see someone so strong need so much help.
Be gentle with them. Give them back as much strength as can be given, and give them dignity in whatever can't be. Make me patient at the bedside and honest in my words. Let us say the things we haven't said.
Thank you for every year they have given me. Keep them in your care. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionLong · 116 words
For a child who is sick
Original prayer for pastor.care
Jesus, you said, "Let the little children come to me." So we bring our child to you, hot-faced and tired, or pale and quiet, or hooked to wires that look far too big.
You know their name. You know what scares them, and you know how a parent's heart is breaking. Heal them. Please heal them. Take the fever, ease the ache, steady the breathing, and let them sleep.
Hold us, too, their parents and grandparents, brothers and sisters. Give us strength to be calm for them when we are not. Give the doctors and nurses kind hands and sharp eyes.
We love them more than we can say. You love them more than that. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionLong · 109 words
For someone going through chemotherapy
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, treatment is hard medicine for a hard disease. Let it do its work against the cancer and be gentle on everything else. Lift the nausea. Keep the blood counts strong. Give courage on infusion days and rest on the days after.
Be with the nurses who start each IV and know every patient by name. Be with the person who drives, who waits, who makes the toast no one can eat. When hair falls out and energy fades, remind us that this body is not the whole of who we are.
We ask for healing. We ask for hope on the days it is hard to find. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 73 words
For a husband or wife who is sick
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, I promised to love in sickness and in health. I didn't know what the sickness would look like. Give me what I need to keep that promise with a whole heart.
Heal the one I love. Where you don't heal quickly, make me a good caregiver and teach me to ask for help. Let us find laughter again somewhere in this. Let us not lose each other while we fight this. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionLong · 91 words
For an elderly loved one who is failing
Original prayer for pastor.care
God of every season of life, you have walked beside this dear person for all their years. Now the body is tired and the mind may be too.
Give them comfort and give them dignity. Keep them from fear and from loneliness. Remind them, when they forget, that they are loved and that they belong to you. Let the hands that care for them be patient, and the faces they see be familiar.
We are thankful for the life behind us and unafraid, because you are already ahead of us. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 75 words
For the one who is caring for the sick
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, you see the one who is up at three in the morning, who counts the pills, who drives to every appointment. Hold up their arms. Give them rest where there seems to be none and a friend who says, "Let me take tonight."
Don't let love turn to exhaustion. Remind them that they are allowed to be tired, that asking for help is not failing, and that their care is a holy work. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionShort · 23 words
For someone who is afraid
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, fear is loud tonight. Be louder, and gentler. Tell us again that you are with us and that we can breathe. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 64 words
For someone who is angry at God
Original prayer for pastor.care
God, I'm angry. I'm angry that this happened and that it happened to us. I won't pretend otherwise, because you already know.
The Psalms are full of people who yelled at you, and you didn't leave them. So I won't leave either. Stay with me in this. Be big enough for my anger, and gentle enough to hold me when it runs out. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionShort · 28 words
A short prayer to text: lifting you up
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, be close to my friend today. Ease the pain, quiet the fear, and give them rest. Let them feel how many people are thinking of them. Amen.
- CatholicShort · 42 words
The Hail Mary
Traditional prayer, public domain
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
- ProtestantLong · 120 words
A congregational prayer for those who are sick
Written for reading aloud in a service or small group
Gracious God, we bring before you those in our church and community who are ill. You know their names and you know their needs.
For the ones in hospital beds tonight, we ask your nearness. For those waiting on test results, we ask peace. For the ones in treatment, we ask strength and healing. For those whose illness has gone on a long time, we ask endurance and the company of friends. For the ones who are caring for them, we ask rest.
We thank you for doctors and nurses, for chaplains and neighbors, and for every hand that serves. Teach us to be a church that visits, calls, cooks and prays.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. Amen.
- OrthodoxMedium · 79 words
For your servant who is sick
Original prayer in the Orthodox idiom; not liturgical text
O Lord our God, king of ages, who by your word heal every sickness: look upon your servant who is ill. Forgive their sins, free them from every disease, and restore them to health and strength, so that they may give thanks to you in your holy Church. For you are the source of healing, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionMedium · 89 words
For a home where someone is ill
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, this house has changed. The routines are different, the voices are quieter, and there is a medicine cabinet where there used to be a fruit bowl.
Bless this home. Let it be a place of rest for the one who is ill and a place of peace for everyone who lives here. Give us patience with each other, humor in the hard moments, and gratitude for small things: a good night's sleep, a warm meal, a day with less pain.
Let your peace live here with us. Amen.
- ProtestantMedium · 62 words
A prayer from Psalm 41 for the sick
Drawn from Psalm 41:1–3
Lord, you bless those who think of the weak and the sick, and you deliver them in the day of trouble. Today I ask you to remember one who is sick.
Sustain them on their bed of illness. Restore them from their sickbed. Keep them alive, and bless them in the land. Do not give them up to what they fear. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionLong · 113 words
For someone who may not recover
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, the doctors have told us that time may be short. We are still asking for a miracle, because you are the God of miracles. But we also ask for what we can see we need now.
Give them comfort and as little pain as possible. Give them peace about the past and hope about what is ahead. Let them be surrounded by people who love them, and let nothing important go unsaid.
Give the rest of us courage to stay in the room, and grace to let go when it is time. Receive them into your arms, whenever that day comes. And until then, let every hour be held by you. Amen.
- Any Christian traditionShort · 41 words
For someone whose body is fragile
Original prayer for pastor.care
Lord, every cough is a threat now, and every handshake a question. Protect this body from what it can't fight off. Give wisdom to the people around it, patience in the careful days, and company even when visits are limited. Amen.
Get this prayer as a printable card
A print-ready prayer card you can slip in a get-well card, keep by a bedside or hand to someone in a waiting room.
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Prayers for the sick do two things at once. They ask God for healing, and they remind the person who is ill that they are not forgotten. If you are sitting with someone who is unwell, or you’re the one in bed, the prayers above are meant to be used as they are, shortened, or made your own with a name and a detail.
How to pray for someone who is sick
Start with the person, not the illness. Say their name. Then say what they’re facing, as plainly as you would to a friend: “She starts chemotherapy on Tuesday.” Ask God for what you hope for, and for what they need alongside it.
- Ask what they would like prayer for. A parent may want prayer about the pain, a spouse about sleep, and a teenager only that someone sit with them. The specifics are what make a prayer a gift.
- Pray for the body and for the person. Healing, relief from pain, and good care. Also courage, patience, peace and company.
- Pray for those around the bed. The doctors and nurses, the family, the caregiver who hasn’t slept.
- Pray more than once. Sickness rarely resolves in a day. A short prayer repeated beats a long prayer once.
Which prayer for which situation
The list above covers the most common needs. If you know the situation, jump straight to the right one:
| If someone is… | Try |
|---|---|
| a parent | For a parent who is sick |
| a child | For a child who is sick |
| in cancer treatment | For someone going through chemotherapy |
| elderly and failing | For an elderly loved one |
| immune-compromised | For someone whose body is fragile |
| afraid | For someone who is afraid |
| angry at God | For someone who is angry at God |
| unlikely to recover | For someone who may not recover |
| in a hospital bed | Prayers for someone in the hospital |
Praying with a sick person
Praying with someone is different from praying for them in private. A few habits help:
- Ask permission. “Would you like me to say a prayer?” takes five seconds and keeps the moment theirs.
- Be brief. The sick get tired fast. Three or four sentences, spoken slowly, is plenty.
- Use their language. If they love the Lord’s Prayer, pray it. If they’re Catholic, a Hail Mary may be what they want. If they’ve never prayed aloud, keep it plain.
- Touch only if welcome. A hand on a hand, or on a shoulder, can say what words can’t. Watch for a flinch.
- Leave room for silence. You don’t have to fill it. Sometimes the best moment is the quiet after “Amen.”
For more on visiting, what to say and how long to stay, see our pastoral care guide for hospital visits.
What not to say when you pray with the sick
Well-meant words can hurt. A few to leave out:
- “Everything happens for a reason.” It may be true, but the person in pain isn’t asking for a reason.
- “God must be teaching you something.” Don’t speak for God.
- “You just need more faith.” This is false and cruel. Illness is not a test of belief.
- “I know exactly how you feel.” You don’t, and that’s all right.
- Promises: “She will be healed.” Pray for it, and don’t guarantee it.
Scripture for the sick
These two passages have been prayed over bedsides for centuries:
“The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.”
Psalm 41:3, King James Version
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28, World English Bible
More are collected on Bible verses for healing and strength, each with a copy button.
Praying for the caregiver
Illness changes the whole household. The person who cooks, drives, administers medication and keeps a family running often has no one asking how they are. Include them in your prayers. Our prayer for the caregiver is written for exactly that, and a text that says “I’m praying for you, and I’m bringing dinner Thursday” is often the best gift a caregiver can get.
Praying as a family or a church
Families can choose a daily moment to pray for the person who is ill: around the table, at bedtime or when someone comes home. Congregations often keep a prayer list, a prayer chain or a team that visits. If your church offers anointing with oil, as James 5 describes, ask the pastor or an elder. The healing prayer library has a laying-on-of-hands prayer for such occasions, and the Catholic page explains the Anointing of the Sick.
Prayer sits alongside medical care and never replaces it. If you’re worried about someone’s safety or your own, call a doctor, a pastor or, in a crisis, the 988 Lifeline.
Common questions
What is a short prayer for the sick?
“Lord, be close to them today. Ease the pain, quiet the fear, and give them rest. Amen.” That is enough. Our list includes prayers of one or two sentences that you can send by text or write in a card, as well as longer ones for a bedside.
How do I pray for a sick family member?
Name them and say what is wrong. Ask for healing, comfort and good care. Pray for the people looking after them, including you. If it helps, pray at the same time each day and keep a short prayer on your phone. Where you can, pray aloud with them, with their permission.
Is it appropriate to pray for someone who hasn’t asked me to?
Praying privately for someone is always appropriate. Praying aloud in front of them, or telling them you did, is kinder when you have asked first: “Would it be all right if I prayed for you?” If they decline, respect that and keep praying quietly.
What should I pray for someone with a serious or terminal illness?
Ask for healing if you hope for it, and also ask for relief from pain, for peace, for honest conversations and for the company of people who love them. Our prayer for someone who may not recover is written for this situation. A pastor or hospital chaplain can sit with the family as well.
What does the Bible say about praying for the sick?
James 5:14–15 tells the sick to call for the church elders, who pray over them and anoint them with oil. Psalm 41:1–3 blesses those who care for the weak. Jesus healed many and sent his followers to do the same (Luke 9:2). Our Bible verses for healing page collects more.
Can I pray for a sick person who is not a Christian?
Yes. Prayer is an act of love for the person, and you don’t need their agreement to pray quietly for them. If you want to pray with them, ask, and offer something simple and gentle. Many people who don’t consider themselves religious welcome a short prayer when they are afraid.
Keep reading
- Prayer for healing25 prayers for healing of body, mind and spirit — short and long, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox — to pray, text or print for someone you love.
- Prayer for someone in the hospitalPrayers for someone in the hospital — before surgery, in the ICU, for doctors and nurses — plus how to pray at a hospital bedside.
- Pastoral care guideWhat pastoral care is and how to do it well — hospital visits, grief follow-up, home visits and care teams — with checklists and scripts.
- Bible verses for healingScripture for healing and strength in hard seasons — sickness, surgery, recovery — with verses you can copy, send or print.
- Healing prayer for a friendHealing prayers for a friend who is sick, injured or facing surgery. Short prayers to text, longer ones to pray together.
- Short healing prayersShort prayers for healing and recovery — one to three sentences you can text, write in a card or pray at a bedside.