The Bible gives honest prayers for strength and healing: "O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed" (Psalm 6:2) and "O spare me, that I may recover strength" (Psalm 39:13). God "sent his word, and healed them" (Psalm 107:20), and Jesus "took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:17).
People search for verses about strength and healing when they or someone they love is sick, facing surgery, in treatment or slowly recovering, and when they want something deeper than get well soon for a card. In Scripture, God cares about the body as well as the soul, and He gives strength for the waiting as well as healing itself. These twelve King James verses give words for honest prayers when the body is weak, promises of the God who heals, and pictures of Jesus healing the sick with compassion. For healing in general, see healing; for strength in weakness, see strength.
Strength when your body is weak
1. Psalms 6:2
"Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed."
David prays without polish: have mercy, I am weak, heal me. The Bible never asks sick people to pretend they feel strong. You can bring God your weakness exactly as it is and ask Him plainly for healing. See prayer.
2. Psalms 39:13
"O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more."
Psalm 39 is the prayer of a man who felt how short and fragile life is (Psalm 39:4-5). Asking God to spare me so that I may recover strength is an honest request for more time and new strength, and a good one-line prayer for a hospital bed or a long recovery.
3. Psalms 71:9
"Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth."
The writer of Psalm 71 was growing old (Psalm 71:18), and his prayer fits anyone whose body is failing: forsake me not when my strength faileth. Fading strength never means fading worth. God's care does not retire when our health does.
4. Psalms 22:19
"But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me."
Psalm 22 is the psalm Jesus quoted from the cross (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). Even in deep pain, David still calls God O my strength and asks Him to hurry to help. When illness makes God feel far away, you can pray the same way.
Prayers and promises of healing
5. Psalms 30:2
"O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me."
This is David's testimony after God brought him through: I cried, and thou hast healed me. The same psalm promises that joy cometh in the morning after a night of weeping (Psalm 30:5). See joy comes in the morning.
6. Psalms 107:20
"He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."
In Psalm 107 people in distress cry to the LORD, and He sends his word and heals them. God can heal through a doctor's care, through the body's own recovery or by a direct answer to prayer. In every case, reading His Word feeds the soul while the body mends.
7. Isaiah 58:8
"Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward."
The promise that thine health shall spring forth speedily comes in a chapter about caring for the hungry and afflicted (Isaiah 58:6-7). It is a picture of God's blessing on the whole person, not a formula that guarantees a timetable. See the FAQ below on whether God always heals.
8. Isaiah 57:18
"I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners."
God says He has seen His people's ways and will still heal and lead them, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. Healing here reaches the family and friends who worry and wait, too. See comfort and strength.
Jesus, our healer and strength
9. Matthew 8:17
"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."
Matthew quotes Isaiah 53:4 after Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law and many others (Matthew 8:14-16). Jesus carried our infirmities in His ministry and on the cross, and His resurrection guarantees the day when every believer's body will be made new.
10. Matthew 14:14
"And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick."
Jesus had just heard that John the Baptist had been killed and wanted to be alone (Matthew 14:13). Yet when He saw the crowd He was moved with compassion and healed their sick. He is never too tired or too grieved to care about your pain.
11. Luke 6:19
"And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all."
The crowds pressed to touch Jesus, for there went virtue (power) out of him, and healed them all. Like the woman who reached for the hem of His garment (Luke 8:44), you can reach out to Him in faith even when you feel lost among waiting rooms and appointments.
12. Philippians 2:27
"For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow."
Epaphroditus, Paul's co-worker, was sick nigh unto death, but God had mercy on him. Paul worried like any friend (Philippians 2:26-28). Faithful Christians do become seriously ill, and recovery is something to thank God for, not take for granted.
A short prayer
Lord, You know how weak I feel and how long this has been. Have mercy on me and heal me; spare me, that I may recover strength. Be near the doctors, nurses and everyone who cares for me. When my strength fails, be the strength of my heart, and give peace to those who wait and worry with me. Thank You, Jesus, for carrying our sicknesses. In Your name, Amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
Pray for healing day by day with the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Print our free Bible verse bookmarks to tuck into a get-well card · Keep a healing verse close with the Scripture Memory Cards
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Bible verse for strength and healing for someone who is sick?
Short choices for a card or text include "O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me" (Psalm 30:2), "He sent his word, and healed them" (Psalm 107:20) and "thine health shall spring forth speedily" (Isaiah 58:8). For someone who is bedridden, "The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing" (Psalm 41:3) is a gentle promise. Pair the verse with a short personal line such as praying for you every day.
Does God always heal when we pray?
God does heal, and Scripture invites us to ask (James 5:14-15). But the Bible is honest that faithful people are not always healed right away. Paul left his friend Trophimus "at Miletum sick" (2 Timothy 4:20), and when Paul asked for his own thorn in the flesh to be removed, God answered, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Sometimes healing comes through medicine and time, sometimes after a long wait, and for every believer it comes completely in the resurrection, when "God shall wipe away all tears" (Revelation 21:4). A healing that has not come yet is not proof of weak faith.
Is it wrong for a Christian to see a doctor?
No. Luke, who wrote a Gospel and the book of Acts, was "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23), and the Good Samaritan treated wounds with oil and wine (Luke 10:34). Prayer and medical care work together, so keep following your doctor's advice while you pray. See health.
How can I pray for strength and healing for a friend?
Pray specifically and often: for healing, for strength for each day, for wisdom for the doctors, for peace for the family and for your friend to sense God's nearness. Turn Psalm 6:2 or Psalm 39:13 into a prayer with your friend's name in it. Then help in practical ways, such as a meal, a ride or a visit. Jesus said, "I was sick, and ye visited me" (Matthew 25:36). See praying for others.
Scripture is a comfort, not a substitute for medical care. If you or someone you love is ill, keep following your doctor's advice, and in an emergency call 911. If illness has left you feeling hopeless or thinking about harming yourself, in the US call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about healing · Bible verses about strength · Bible verses about health · Bible verses about comfort and strength · Bible verses about strength and peace · Bible verses about nurses · Bible verses about praying for others · Bible verses for strength in hard times
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