How Do I Pray When I am Sick?
- Lauren
- Feb 18
- 2 min read
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” - Psalm 23:1-3
When was the last time you were really sick? A year ago? A month ago? Yesterday?
What illness were you afflicted with? Influenza? COVID? A stomach bug?
Was it easy to pray during that time of illness? Did you remember to pray?
When we find ourselves sick, it can be so difficult to remember to turn our illnesses over to the Lord. Being so overcome with a fever, nausea, or congestion can leave us with very little mental power to even remember to take care of ourselves.
Recently, my household came down with a terrible gastrointestinal illness. It was miserable!
One morning, I woke up and my fever had broken, but I still felt ill. I tried to pray to the Lord, but found myself stumbling over words. I could not get my mind to work! I wanted to ask for His help in healing me, and thank Him that my fever had broke. Yet, I don’t think I got a coherent sentence out in prayer.
But you know what? The Lord heard me, and He knew what I was trying to say.
The book of Psalms tells us:
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely” (Ps 139:1-4, emphasis added).
Even though I found myself stumbling over my words, the Lord knew what was on my heart. Despite the words not getting out of my head, “Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely” (Ps 139:4). God knows what is in our hearts. He is the One who understands us fully and completely.
So, the next time you find yourself flat on your back with illness, take comfort that the Lord knows what’s on your heart. If you forget to pray during your illness, pray as soon as you remember.
God will help you if you allow Him to do so. Another simple verse to pray when you are ill is, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul” (Psalm 23:1-3). The Lord will bring you peace if you allow Him to.
So how do you pray when you are sick?
The best you can. The Lord knows the rest.
In Christ,
Lauren
All scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible
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