Prayers for Healing

“Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.” ~Jeremiah 17:14

There are so many people in the world right now in desperate need of God’s healing—both physical and emotional healing. The impacts of illnesses, health conditions, discouragement, and depression in our lives or the lives of our family and friends can feel overwhelming. Yet, God never leaves us nor abandons us to face life’s trials on our own. In fact, He has given us a powerful tool that allows us to enter His presence and access His healing grace. That tool is prayer.    

What follows are some insights I’ve gathered in my own journey to become a better “pray-er” for my loved ones and for my own life.

Why does prayer matter?

Two powerful definitions of prayer:

• Priscilla Shirer, author of Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific, and Strategic Prayer writes that “Prayer deploys, activates, and fortifies us against the attacks of the enemy… Prayer is the divinely ordained mechanism that leads you into the heart and the power and the victory of Christ.”
• Pastor Tony Evans, in his sermon “God Will Put You at The Right Place” states that, “Prayer is relational communication with God, and the goal of prayer is to draw from heaven into history … to get eternity to make a statement in time … to make heaven visible on earth … to get God to touch humanity.”

I love the idea that prayer draws down a little bit of Heaven into history. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Pastor Evans explains that prayer does not force God to do something, but rather “accesses what He already wants to do—what He has conditioned on your participation and mine.” In other words, sometimes we have to call down, receive, and cooperate with God’s will before it comes to pass. As James 4:2 puts it, sometimes we have not because we ask not.

Prayer matters because it invites us into the very presence of our Heavenly Father, it shields us from the attacks of the enemy, and it enables us to participate in the will of God.

How should we pray for healing?

Pastor Evans suggests that we should be praying with our Bibles open, pointing God back to His Word and back to His promises, for He has held His Word high above His name.

When we pray prayers of healing that are based on Scripture, we show God that we know, value, and trust His Word and have faith that He will do what He promised.

A few Scripture-based prayers of healing:

James 5:14-15 ~ Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.

Lord, you are our Healer—Jehovah Rapha. God, your Word says that prayer offered in faith will make the sick well. I trust in your promises Lord, and I offer up this prayer of faith for my family member who is struggling with illness. I know you have the power to restore him to health and see him through this trial. Jesus, I know that no sickness has any power against your name. In your life on Earth, you restored sight to the blind, cured lepers, made the dead come back to life, the lame walk, and the mute speak. So, Lord, I boldly ask that you heal my family member. I cast out this sickness in your name, trusting and believing that you can remove this suffering. Jesus, you know my heart. You know the pain I feel over the suffering of my loved one. Your tears for Lazarus show that you understand. And while I wholeheartedly trust that you can take this sickness away, I also trust in your good purposes—even if physical healing does not come in the way I desire, I know that you will provide the spiritual restoration and fortitude that my loved one needs to walk through this dark valley. You are a good Father, Lord. The cross shows how much you love us. I know that if you did not abandon us then, you will not abandon us now.

Psalm 147:3 ~ He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Lord, your Word says that you heal those with broken hearts, and you bind their wounds. I believe you can do what you say you can do, Lord. And I ask that you give your supernatural emotional healing to my friend who is struggling with a broken heart and downtrodden spirit. Lord, surround this friend in your love and touch her life in a way that only you can. Be near to her and wrap her close in your loving arms.

Isaiah 40:29-31 ~ He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Father, I am weary and weak right now. Yet, your Word says that you are the One who renews my strength and makes me soar high like an eagle. I trust that you will give me the supernatural ability to persevere and overcome even when trials threaten to overwhelm me. Lord, provide me with a bird’s eye perspective so I can clearly recognize that you are so much bigger than my problems. I put my hope in you Lord, for you alone are the one who can save me. I have faith in your promises, and I trust that you will remain true to your Word and see me safely through these deep waters.

These are just a few Scripture-based prayers of healing that I have prayed over my family, friends, and myself, but there are so many more passages in the Bible that speak of God’s healing grace and His promises to us. Something I have found really helpful is going through the index in the back of my Bible and searching for keywords like “healing” to find relevant passages to pray.  There are also tons of online sites that can help you compile lists of healing-based Scripture passages.

May we be Christians who take seriously our privilege to pray. May we become prayer warriors who get down on bended knees to fervently, faithfully, and confidently petition our Heavenly Father and declare His promises over our lives and the lives of those around us.