Whatever they can or can’t hear, God hears. These prayers are for the bedside, for the waiting room, and for the hard decisions that sometimes come.
Historical Context
If the person is Catholic, call the hospital chaplain or parish priest and ask for the Anointing of the Sick. It can be given to someone who is unconscious, and it is not only for the dying. It is a sacrament of healing and strength.
A Prayer at the Bedside
Lord, here is the one we love, and they cannot speak to us.
Speak to them.
Wherever they are, let them know they are not alone.
Heal what is broken, if it is your will.
Guide every doctor and nurse who touches them.
And give us patience to wait.
Amen.
Many families hold the person’s hand and say this aloud, then add their name and a few words of their own. It is never wasted.
A Prayer for Their Healing
Jesus, you took a little girl by the hand and said, “Get up.”
Take this one by the hand.
Wake them, if it is your will, and bring them back to us whole.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Family Waiting
Lord, we are tired and frightened.
Every alarm in this room makes our hearts jump.
Give us rest in shifts, food we will actually eat,
and gentleness with each other.
Help us make good decisions, and to make them together.
Amen.
When Hard Decisions Come
Lord, the doctors are asking us things no one should have to answer.
Give us wisdom, honesty and peace.
Whatever we decide, let it be out of love,
and let us not carry guilt that isn’t ours.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- Each time you arrive at and leave the bedside.
- When the priest comes to anoint them.
- Before a family meeting with the medical team.
- At night, from home, when you can’t be there.
Scripture Connection
“And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” — Mark 5:41
Jesus spoke to the girl who could not hear anyone else, and she heard him. Families at a coma bedside cling to this story, and rightly: the one who calls people out of sleep is not limited by what the monitors show.
Related prayers
For healing of a family member, see the Healing Prayer for My Dad and Healing Prayer for My Brother. If the end is near, the Prayer for a Happy Death.