Prayer for Healing for a Friend: 7 Powerful Prayers

If you need a prayer for healing for a friend, we have you covered!

We receive news that a friend is sick. In the grocery store, a friend tells us she has cancer, a loved one has covid, or a child has broken a bone. We learn of pressing mental concerns, illnesses, or anxiety through social media. We respond with, I will pray for you, praying, and the praying hand emoji. When we do stop to pray often words fail us and we are left staring at the ceiling. There is good news in this. Scripture tells us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness in prayer and He, Himself intercedes for us. (Romans 8:26).

Jesus healed people all throughout the gospel, moved by His compassion. It is clear in the Bible that Jesus tells us that though He is returning to the Father that the Father is sending us the Holy Spirit not only to comfort us and help us to better understand the scriptures and teachings of Jesus but also to equip us so that we may continue to do the works which He did and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people until He returns again. These works include healings both physically but also emotionally and spiritually. These healings are for the glory of God and the benefit of others and not so we may claim anything by our own might because on our own we are not able to do what is required or what the Holy Spirit does in us and through us.

In order to align my prayers with the Holy Spirit, I turn to the words of scripture to guide my prayers. Utilize the following scripture-based prayers to ask the Lord for healing for your friends. In addition to the eight scripture-based prayers, I have also created a 31-day healing prayer calendar that you may download as a free gift. The link is at the end of the article.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from Psalm 103:1-6

Pray this prayer from Psalm 103 for your friend by placing their name in the blanks.

Father in Heaven, cause __ to bless You with his/her soul.  With all that is within __ cause him/her to bless You, Lord.  Do not let __ forget any of Your benefits.  Lord, pardon all of __’s iniquities.  Lord heal all of __’s diseases.  Lord redeem __’s life from the pit.  Lord crown __ with loving-kindness and compassion.  Lord satisfy all of __’s years with good things and renew __’s strength to be like that of the eagles.  Lord perform your righteous deeds for __ and make all things right.  Amen! 

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

Psalm 147 is a song of praise to the Lord. The following prayer is from verse three of this psalm. Pray this prayer as a promise of declaration over your friend by placing their name in the blanks.

The Lord heals __ and He binds up __’s wounds. He cures __’s pains and __’s sorrows. By the love and compassion of the glorious name of Christ Jesus, I claim this promise for __. Amen.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from James 5:14

I join with the body of believers and pray the prayer of faith for healing and health to ___.  Lord Jesus, I ask that You restore ___ and make him/her well. Amen.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

The following prayer is from Isaiah 53. Isaiah’s prophecy, written more than seven hundred years before the cross, is all stated in the past tense, as though it had already happened. Isaiah 53:5 is a prophetic vision of Jesus who heals. This prayer is written as a declaration of Jesus over your friend.

Jesus, You have borne all ___’s griefs, sickness, weaknesses, and distress and in You ___ is healed and made whole. Through Your holy and glorious name, amen.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from Psalm 25

Lord, to You, ___ offers his/her prayer. Do not let (sickness) gloat over ___.  The victory is Yours God! Save ___ from defeat.  Defeat does not come to ___, strengthen __ to put his/her trust in God.  Relieve ___ from __’s worries and save __ from all his/her troubles.  In Jesus Name.

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from 3 John 1:2

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 John 1:2 (NIV)

Often praying the words of scripture is very simple for the verse itself is a prayer. 3 John 1:2 is one of those cases as it begins “Dear Friend, I pray…”. I have provided two possible prayers from this verse. The first one could be sent to your friend via text or posted on social media the second version is written as a prayer to God, our Father.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

Holy Father I ask that You touch ___ that __ may enjoy good health and that all may go well with __. I praise You for the work You are doing within __’s soul and I ask that You heal __ of (name of illness).

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from 2 Kings 20:5

“The is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: ‘I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you.‘” 2 Kings 20:5 (NIV)

In this verse, God gives His answer to prayers for healing through the prophet.

Holy One, the Lord, the God of David, I ask that You hear __’s prayers and see __’s tears and bring healing to __. In the holy name of Jesus, Amen

Prayer for Healing for a Friend from Acts 4:29-30

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Acts 4:29-30 (NIV)

Our Holy Father in His infinite wisdom has chosen to work through the prayers of His people (you and me). We, however, hold back because of the doubts and struggles within our own thoughts and mind. Sometimes this fight is against fear over what others would think or say and many times we attempt to take the stance of God’s defender. We don’t pray or ask just in case God doesn’t heal and we would not want Him to look bad.

The good news is that we do not have the responsibility of defending God. And when we accept that we are not the healers but it is Christ Himself who heals, we able to pray with freedom and boldness.

Now, Lord, consider their threats, my doubts and fears, and enable me, your servant to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand through me to heal __ and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Amen.

Click here to open the 31-day healing prayer calendar pdf.

Praying for a Friend

All people deal with challenges and the Lord can use you to lead others to receive their blessing from Him. When you pray in the moment or send an actual prayer and not just say you are praying or that you will pray, you give the gift of hope and comfort to your friend. Through your prayers, they realize that they are not alone.

Additionally, a friend is often able to see the blessings the Lord has and is providing. When in the midst of suffering it is often difficult to see the hand of the Lord moving, but one who is interceding on our behalf may have a heavenly vision.

I am not speaking of a trite “you will have such a testimony” comment. And while it will be true, most often when in the pit, a statement like this is not encouraging.

I am speaking of recognizing how the Lord is moving in someone’s life and encouraging them to lean into that movement. For example, in the Old Testament story of Naaman. When Elisha sent a messenger out to him telling Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan River and you will be healed, Naaman did not receive this message because he was convinced that his healing would come to him differently. It took his officers to convince him to obey the instructions and be healed.

In my own stroke recovery, it is through the prayers and insights of my friends that the Lord has restored hope and provided physical healing. And although sometimes days are hard as I lean into the prayers and encouragement of my friends, my eyes are lifted heavenward and I can say, It is well with my soul.