Prayers for When Your Child is Sick

1. A Breath Prayer

The easiest prayers for a sick child, to pray at their bedside as you keep vigil while they are suffering. Pray one line as you breathe in and one line as you breathe out.

Inhale: Heal my child, Lord.
Exhale: Heal me, too.

Inhale: You love my child.
Exhale: Help me trust in your love.

Inhale: Divine Physician, draw near.
Exhale: Good Shepherd, stay close.

Inhale: O God, come to my assistance.
Exhale: Lord, make haste to help me.

2. A Psalm Prayer

Psalm 121 reminds us of God’s care and protection, a source of deep comfort and hope in the hardest times.

I lift up my eyes to the hills—
   from where will my help come? 
My help comes from the Lord,
   who made heaven and earth. 

He will not let your foot be moved;
   he who keeps you will not slumber. 
He who keeps Israel
   will neither slumber nor sleep. 

The Lord is your keeper;
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night. 

The Lord will keep you from all evil;
   he will keep your life. 
The Lord will keep
   your going out and your coming in
   from this time on and for evermore.

3. A Simple Prayer

When life is complicated, when worry presses closes, when you feel you can barely breathe out of fear for your child’s health, just hold onto the simplest prayer—even God’s own name.

Come, Lord Jesus.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Or simply, Jesus.