Fourteen verses for the sickbed, for the person in it and for the person sitting beside it.
Several psalms were written from a sickbed, or close to one. Psalm 41 speaks of the LORD sustaining someone on the sickbed. Psalm 38 describes pain, failing strength and friends who stand at a distance. Psalm 88 and Psalm 102 speak from long suffering and do not pretend otherwise. Psalm 35 even shows the writer fasting and praying for others while they were sick.
This page is for the person sitting with someone who is ill, and for the person in the bed. The verses are grouped for praying for someone else, for your own illness, for a hospital stay or surgery, and for a long illness. Print any you want to leave at a bedside. This is scripture, not medical treatment.
Words that can be said over another person. The first two are written about someone else from the start.
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed,and restore him from his bed of illness.
The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
The verse speaks of him rather than me: the LORD will sustain him on his sickbed. That makes it a prayer that can be said for someone else by name.
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble.May the name of the God of Jacob set you up on high,
The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;
The opening of Psalm 20 is spoken to another person rather than to God: may the LORD answer you in the day of trouble. The next four verses keep asking good things for that person.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth.I afflicted my soul with fasting.My prayer returned into my own bosom.
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
The writer describes what he did when others were sick: sackcloth, fasting and prayer. The verse before says those same people repaid him evil for good.
Cast your burden on the LORD and he will sustain you.He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
For the person doing the caring. It asks them to hand over the weight they are carrying, and says the LORD will sustain them.
The psalmists who were ill wrote down what it felt like. These verses do not tidy it up.
My heart throbs.My strength fails me.As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.
My heart panteth, my strength faileth me: as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.
Heart throbbing, strength failing, the light gone from the eyes. The writer lists what his body is doing before he asks for anything.
Lord, all my desire is before you.My groaning is not hidden from you.
Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.
Nothing has to be explained here. The groaning itself is said to be seen by God, which suits a day with no words for a prayer.
My heart is blighted like grass, and withered,for I forget to eat my bread.
My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
Losing appetite is named directly: I forget to eat my bread. The heading calls this the prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed.
Don’t forsake me, LORD.My God, don’t be far from me.
Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
The last requests of Psalm 38 are short: do not forsake me, do not be far from me. The final verse asks for help to hurry.
No psalm mentions surgery or hospitals. These verses are about lying down, sleeping and waking in God's care, which is where a patient is.
In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep,for you alone, LORD, make me live in safety.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Lying down and sleeping in peace, because the LORD makes me live in safety. The verse gives safety as the reason sleep is possible.
I laid myself down and slept.I awakened, for the LORD sustains me.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
I laid myself down and slept. I awakened. The verse is about waking up again, and gives the reason as the LORD sustaining.
when I remember you on my bed,and think about you in the night watches.
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Remembering God on my bed and thinking of him in the night watches. It describes the long hours awake that come with a hospital bed.
For illness that has gone on for months, or that may not get better. These psalms stay in the dark longer.
My eyes are dim from grief.I have called on you daily, LORD.I have spread out my hands to you.
Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
My eyes are dim from grief, and I have called on you daily. The writer has not stopped praying, even though Psalm 88 ends without an answer.
Behold, and answer me, LORD, my God.Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death. A request made by someone who knows how serious things are.
The LORD will command his loving kindness in the daytime.In the night his song shall be with me:a prayer to the God of my life.
Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
Loving kindness by day and a song in the night. The night is still there, but the writer is not alone in it.
Psalm 41:1 to 3 speaks about another person throughout: the LORD will preserve him, keep him alive, sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness. Psalm 20:1 to 5 is spoken to someone else, asking that the LORD answer them, send them help and grant their requests. Because both speak of him or you rather than me, they can be read aloud with the sick person's name in place.
Psalm 41 speaks of the sickbed directly in verse 3. Psalm 6 and Psalm 38 are written by someone who describes himself as faint and in pain.
Psalm 41:1 to 3 and Psalm 20:1 to 5 both speak about another person rather than the writer, so they can be read aloud for someone else.
No psalm mentions surgery. Psalm 4:8 and Psalm 3:5 speak of lying down, sleeping and waking in the LORD's care, which suits the night before an operation.
Psalm 88 and Psalm 102 are prayers from long suffering. Psalm 88:15 says the writer has been afflicted and ready to die from his youth up.
Psalm 42:8 speaks of God's song being with the writer in the night, and Psalm 63:6 of remembering God on the bed in the night watches. Both suit someone who is awake and unwell at night.
Psalms for Healing and StrengthPsalms for the DyingPsalms about SufferingPsalms for Sleep and Night PrayerPsalms for Comfort and StrengthPsalms for Family and Home