Healing prayers for a loved one who is sick
Bringing someone you love to Jesus for healing of body and fear
Morning Prayer editorial team · Updated: November 2026
Watching someone you love suffer is its own kind of pain, and often the only thing left to do is pray. These healing prayers for a loved one bring your husband or wife, parent, child, or friend to the Lord who healed the sick, and ask Him for strength for you as well.
Let us pray
Lord Jesus, I am bringing You someone I love: (name). You know how much. You know how I would take the illness onto myself if I could, and how helpless I feel because I cannot. So I do the one thing I can do. I lay (name) at Your feet, as the friends of the paralyzed man lowered him through the roof, and I ask You to look at the one I love.
Heal (name), Lord. Heal the body: the organ that is failing, the cells that are growing wrong, the pain that will not stop, the mind that is slipping. Guide every doctor and nurse, every test and treatment. Give (name) strength on the hard days and rest on the hard nights.
Heal the fear, too. Sickness brings so much fear, for the one who is ill and for those who love them. Give (name) Your peace, the kind that does not depend on test results. Let the one I love know that You are in the room, in the hospital bed, in the long waiting.
And heal me, Lord, because I am wounded by this as well. Give me patience when I am tired, gentleness when I am frightened, and the grace to be present without needing to fix everything. Let my love be a sign of Yours.
If You choose to heal (name) completely, I will praise You all my life. If Your healing takes another form, hold us both, and give us the faith to trust You in the dark. Mary, Health of the Sick, pray for us. Amen.
Blessing
May the Lord lay His healing hand on the one you love, and may He strengthen your own heart as you walk beside them.
How to pray this prayer
- Find a quiet moment and breathe slowly.
- Read the prayer aloud or in your heart.
- Add your own intention before the Amen.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I pray for a sick loved one?
Daily, and briefly throughout the day whenever they come to mind. Many people pray a nine-day novena, have a Mass offered for the person, and ask friends and the parish to pray too. Persistent, shared prayer is deeply biblical.
Which saints are invoked for healing?
Saint Peregrine for cancer, Saint Raphael the Archangel for healing in general, Saint Dymphna for mental illness, Saint Padre Pio and Saint Rita for difficult cases, and Our Lady under the title Health of the Sick. Ask the sick person's own patron saint as well.
Can I pray this for someone who does not believe?
Of course. God's love for your loved one does not depend on their faith, and your prayer may be the only one said for them. Pray with confidence, and let your care for them be the visible side of your prayer.
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