Sitting with someone who is ill
In the hospital
A stay, a surgery, a long night on a ward
Hospitals are loud and bright, and the person you are visiting may be tired, in pain, or afraid. A short psalm read slowly can bring a little quiet into the room.
Psalms to read aloud
Short, and chosen for a bedside. Open one to read it in large type, or to have it read aloud.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
The psalm most people know, often by heart. Many will say it with you, even when they are weak.
Psalm 121
The One who does not sleep
A psalm for the long hours of waiting and for the night, when the ward is quiet and sleep will not come.
Psalm 46:1–7
A refuge in trouble
For when everything feels shaken. It names the fear honestly and sets God in the middle of it.
Psalm 91:1–2
Shelter and shadow
Two short verses, two pictures of being close to God. Short enough to say slowly more than once.
Psalm 4:8
Lying down in peace
One line to say at the end of a visit, as the person settles to rest.
Short prayers
Written by our team for you to pray aloud or quietly. Say their name where you see (name).
When you come in
Lord Jesus, You are here in this room with us. Be near to (name) now. Give rest, ease the pain, and guide the hands that care for them. Amen.
For healing, honestly
Father, we ask You for healing. You know what we hope for and what we fear. Hold (name) in Your hands through all of it, and keep us close to You. Amen.
For the night
Lord, You never grow tired. Watch over (name) through the night, and give everyone here Your peace. Amen.
For you
Keep it short
People in hospital tire quickly. Ten quiet minutes, one psalm and a short prayer, is often a better gift than an hour.
Grief is allowed
Tears at a bedside are not a failure of faith. Jesus wept at the grave of His friend.
Jesus wept.
John 11:35BSB Care for yourself too
Drink some water, eat something, step outside for air. Jesus often went away to quiet places to pray.
Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
Luke 5:16BSB Don't carry it alone
Afterwards, tell someone how it was: a friend, a pastor, a counselor. If it gets too heavy, help is at the bottom of every page.