Prayer for the Sick

This has been on my mind a lot lately.  So many people in my circle or near my circle have been struck with severe illness in the last couple years.  It's very sobering.  It's actually hard for me to really take in.  I have to fight against passivity because the thought of the actual burden is quite overwhelming.

Well, one of these families was in church on Sunday and had an opportunity to share with the body what their year has looked like, and also testify to God's sovereignty.  It was quite moving, heart-wrenching, and inspiring at the same time.  Afterwards, our pastor stood and said a prayer over our body...a prayer filled with Scripture, filled with humility, filled with petition, and filled with praise.  His prayer really stuck with me.  Before the end of the day, I asked him to email it to me (because I knew he had it written down).  I've meditated on it these last couple days and I want to share it with you.  If you know someone, or know of someone, who is struggling with illness but you don't know what to pray (or what to keep praying), I offer this to you as a place to start.  God's Word is living and active (Heb 4:12)...and in It there is power!

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we humbly bow before you this day and say with the Psalmist:

We bless You, O our souls,
And all that is within us, bless Your holy name.
We bless You, O our souls,

And forget none of Your benefits;
Who pardon all our iniquities,

Who heal all our diseases;
Who redeem our lives from the pit,

Who crown us with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfy our years with good things,

So that our youth is renewed like the eagle.

(Adapted from Psalm 103:1-5)

Indeed, Lord, we rejoice knowing You alone truly heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). We can proclaim with confidence these things are true:

For You formed our inward parts;

You wove us in our mothers' wombs.
We will give thanks to You, for we are

fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And our soul knows it very well.
Our frame was not hidden from You,

When we were made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen our

unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for us,

When as yet there was not one of them.

(Adapted from Psalm 139:13-16)

And yet, Father, we groan during our pilgrimage on this earth, infected by the curse of sin and subject to sickness and pain as a result of the fall. We groan, yes, because we suffer and at times are tempted to lose heart. We ache and hurt and become downcast in our souls. We groan mostly, though, because we long for the ultimate hope we have through Jesus Christ our Saviour Who has risen from the dead conquering sin and death...a hope that will be fulfilled on that great day when we will see Him face-to-face.  While we wait, our frailty reminds us of both of our weakness this day and the reality that we will be frail no more on that day. We recall these words of the Apostle Paul and exult:

It is sown a perishable body,
it is raised an imperishable body;
it is sown in dishonor,
it is raised in glory;
it is sown in weakness,
it is raised in power; 
it is sown a natural body,
it is raised a spiritual body....
For this perishable must put on the imperishable,

and this mortal must put on immortality.

(1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 53)

And so, Father, we come before Your throne today with complete confidence in You.  You are sovereign, You are ultimately and completely trustworthy, and You are worthy of all glory and praise. We long, then, that You be glorified in the midst of the sickness afflicting many in this body. We also express a great desire, Lord, that this prayer - offered in faith - will restore those who are sick. We would be grateful if the way You choose to do that would be to heal their bodies. We know You are able to do this, either in miraculous ways without earthly intervention or by working through human means.  We submit, though, to Your ultimate purposes that are always designed to result in both our good and Your glory. We consider that word - restore - and it brings to mind Your perfect care for us as our Shepherd both now and forever:

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil,
for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness
will follow me all the days of my life,

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

(Psalm 23:1-6)

May all who are sick rest in these great truths...truths that remind us our health, our healing, our hope, indeed our very identity, are hidden safely in You, O great God. And may these great truths be a sweet balm to the souls of the sick as they press in ever closer to You, remembering this:

Therefore we do not lose heart,
but though our outer man is decaying,
yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
For momentary, light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
far beyond all comparison,
while we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen;
for the things which are seen are temporal,
but the things which are not seen are eternal.

(2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

We ask all these things of You, Heavenly Father, THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME, in the name of Jesus Christ, our great King and Saviour, Amen.