PLEASE HELP: Praying for the sick

[dean24us]

Hello! This might seem like a silly request to some, but I sincerely need help. I’d rather not go in to details out of respect for this person’s privacy, but I have a relative that has a potentially life threatening illness. I would like to pray for healing, but I never really learned much on how to pray for specific intentions or healing when I went through RCIA a couple years ago.

I have the desire for healing and love for Christ in my heart, but I am not sure how to translate this to words and subsequently pray. Also, I am not sure whether I should use one of the many “scripted” prayers out there, or whether I should use a “free-form” prayer. So, this leads to my request: can somebody tell me *specifically * how to pray for healing, both at home (i.e. with him not around) and at his beside at the hospital?

God bless,
Dean

 

[fred_conty]

If the person is catholic we have the annointing of the sick by the priest.

But I get the feeling that this person is not catholic.
In which case, you may make up a prayer of your own or use a ready made one.
What is important about a prayer is that it comes from the heart with love and meaning.

Prayer is placing yourself in God’s presence and conversing with him as a son to a father.

I’m sure you have heard of the story of Martha and Mary. One day when Jesus visited them,
Martha went into the kitchen to prepare the food. Mary stayed in the company of Jesus in another room talking to him. Martha complained when Mary didn’t come into the kitchen to help her prepare the food. Then it was that Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part to keep him company. That is just what good prayer is, keeping company with Jesus and talking with him.

Just a thought.

 

[cmscms]

It appears you want to pray for the person to heal and you are looking for the ‘magic formula’. Unfortunately, that is not at all what prayer is about. Prays is continually asking for God’s will to be done and the ability to accept it and the strenght to face it.

There is nothing wrong with a scripted prayer nor is there anything wrong with using your own words. Scripted prayer can be a good place to start if you don’t know what to say. But ALWAYS keep in mind, we do not know what God will do but we must place our trust in him.

As for praying while in the presence of the sick person, assuming they are not offended by prayer, I would say ‘Dear God, thank you I was able to take the time to come and see John. Please meet all his needs and comfort him as your son.’ I would make direct reference to his illness since that could hurt him and I would try to let the sick person know you are happy they are in your life

CM