The Bible shows people bringing the sick to Jesus and praying for them by name. Martha and Mary simply told Him, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick" (John 11:3), and four friends carried a paralysed man to Him: "When Jesus saw their faith" (Mark 2:5), He met that man's deepest need. Scripture also asks us to stay close: "support the weak, be patient toward all men" (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
When someone you love is sick, you can feel helpless. You sit in waiting rooms, learn new medical words, sort out medicines and meals, and still lie awake wondering what else you could do. The Bible does not ask you to have the right words. It shows ordinary people carrying the sick to Jesus, praying for them by name, and simply staying beside them. This page is for anyone praying for or caring for a sick parent, spouse, child or friend: twelve King James verses about bringing your loved one to the Lord, prayers you can pray at the bedside, and strength for the person doing the caring. For verses to read to the sick person yourself, see strength and healing and healing; before an operation, see Bible verses for surgery.
Carrying someone you love to Jesus
1. Mark 2:3
"And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four."
The man could not come to Jesus on his own, so four friends carried him on a mat. When the crowd blocked the door, they dug through the roof (Mark 2:4). Borne of four is a picture of caregiving: nobody carried him alone. If you are the one carrying a sick loved one right now, ask for help with the corners of the mat: meals, lifts to appointments, a night off.
2. Mark 2:5
"When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."
Notice whose faith Jesus saw: their faith, the friends' faith, not only the sick man's. When your loved one is too tired, too foggy or too discouraged to pray, your prayers count. Jesus first forgave the man's sins and then healed his body (Mark 2:11-12), caring for the whole person. You can pray for your loved one's peace with God as well as for their recovery.
3. John 11:3
"Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."
Martha and Mary did not tell Jesus what to do or how fast to do it. They told Him who was sick and reminded Him how much He loved him: he whom thou lovest. That is a prayer anyone can pray at the end of a long day: name the person, and leave them in the hands of the One who loves them even more than you do.
4. Mark 1:30
"But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her."
Peter's mother-in-law had a fever, and anon (straight away) they told Jesus about her. Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up (Mark 1:31). One of the first healing stories in Mark's Gospel begins with family simply mentioning a sick relative to Jesus. You do not need a special prayer. Telling Him about your loved one, as soon as you can, is already a prayer.
Prayers to pray for a sick loved one
5. Matthew 8:8
"The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."
A Roman officer asked Jesus to heal his servant, who was paralysed and suffering at home. When Jesus offered to come, he said there was no need; he believed one word from Jesus was enough, wherever the sick person was. This is a good prayer when your loved one is in another city, in intensive care where you cannot visit, or in a hospital you cannot reach tonight: speak the word only.
6. John 4:50
"Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."
A royal official travelled roughly twenty miles from Capernaum to Cana to beg Jesus to come before his son died. Jesus sent him home with a promise instead, and the man believed the word and started back. The next day his servants met him: the fever had broken at the very hour Jesus spoke (John 4:52-53). Faith sometimes means walking home without seeing anything yet.
7. Isaiah 38:5
"Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years."
King Hezekiah was told he would not recover. He turned his face to the wall, prayed and wept (Isaiah 38:2-3), and God answered: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears. The answer also came with practical treatment: a poultice of figs laid on his boil (Isaiah 38:21). Your tears are seen, and prayer and medical care are not rivals.
8. Psalms 102:1-2
"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily."
The title of this psalm reads, A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Scripture gives you permission to be overwhelmed and to say so. Answer me speedily is an honest request, not a lack of faith. Pray it for your loved one by name, and pray it for yourself when you are worn out.
Staying beside them, and strength for caregivers
9. Luke 10:35
"And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee."
In Jesus' parable the Samaritan cleans and bandages a stranger's wounds, takes him to an inn, and pays for his care: two pence was about two days' wages. Then he asks the innkeeper, Take care of him, and promises to come back and cover any extra cost. Good caregiving can include handing someone over to others for a while: nurses, family, respite care or a friend.
10. Job 2:13
"So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great."
When Job lost his health, his three friends travelled to be with him and sat on the ground beside him for a whole week without a word, for they saw that his grief was very great. It was the best thing they did; things went wrong only when they started explaining his suffering. Sometimes the most loving thing you can offer a sick person is your quiet presence.
11. Matthew 26:38
"Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me."
On the night before the cross, Jesus Himself asked His closest friends to stay near Him: tarry ye here, and watch with me. He knows what it is to want someone to sit up with you in the dark. When you keep watch beside a hospital bed, you are doing what Jesus asked for in Gethsemane, and He is with you in it.
12. 1 Thessalonians 5:14
"Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men."
Paul's short list fits caregiving well: comfort the feebleminded (the faint-hearted), support the weak, be patient toward all men. Patience is needed with doctors, insurance calls, a loved one who is frightened or short-tempered, and yourself. You will not do it perfectly. Ask God for patience one day at a time.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, You know the name of the one I love who is sick, and You love them more than I do. I bring them to You as the four friends brought their friend: please speak the word, ease their pain, guide their doctors and nurses, and heal them in body and soul. Give me patience, wisdom and rest when I am worn out, and surround us both with people who can help carry the load. Whatever tomorrow brings, keep us close to You. In Jesus' 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.
Keep a daily record of your prayers for them in the 30-Day Prayer Journal · Print the free Psalm 23 printable for a bedside or hospital room · Print our free Bible verse bookmarks
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Bible verse to send to someone who is sick?
Short, gentle verses work best in a card or text. Many people send John's greeting, "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health" (3 John 1:2), or the priestly blessing, "The LORD bless thee, and keep thee" (Numbers 6:24). Add a personal line such as I am praying for you by name today, and offer something practical, like a meal or a lift to an appointment.
How do I pray for a sick family member?
Pray simply and honestly. Tell God who is sick, as Martha and Mary did (John 11:3); ask for healing, for good medical care and for peace; and pray for the people caring for them. You can pray Psalm 102 when you feel overwhelmed. James also encourages the sick to "call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him" (James 5:14), so it is good to let your church know. See praying for others.
What does the Bible say about caring for the sick?
Jesus counts care for the sick as care for Him: "I was sick, and ye visited me" (Matthew 25:36). Visiting, listening, bringing meals, sitting quietly and paying attention to practical needs are all part of loving our neighbour. The Good Samaritan shows care that is hands-on, costly and willing to share the load with others (Luke 10:34-35). See helping other people.
What if my loved one does not get better?
It is not because you prayed wrongly or lacked faith. Even the apostle Paul, who saw many healed, wrote, "Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick" (2 Timothy 4:20). God's answer is not always the recovery we ask for, but He promises His presence and grace: "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Keep praying, keep loving, and let others hold you up. See suffering and comfort and strength.
These verses support, and never replace, medical care. Follow your loved one's care team, and call 911 for an emergency. Caregivers burn out too: in the US the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) can point you to local respite and support services. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, in the US call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call 911 in an emergency.
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: Strength and healing · Healing · Bible verses for surgery · Praying for others · Comfort and strength · Nurses · Suffering · The power of prayer
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