Friday, November 30, 2007

Psalm for Sickness


Right now I am praying for so many Christian friends who are fighting terrible illnesses/health problems. They've been through surgery, chemo, years of treatment--you name it. Some need a miracle to pull through. Some will take months and months of healing. I pray the psalms over these folks. Any psalm intreating God's help can be used to pray against illness. You might have to change a few words to fit the situation, but I don't think God minds. I encourage you to pray the psalms aloud for those who are battling sickness. Nothing is more powerful in prayer than God's own Word.

Here's the BPV (Brandilyn's Prayer Version) for Psalm 31, as I might pray for a friend who is a Christian. (Based on the New American Standard Version.) Just fill in the name(s) of your own friends and family members, and pray along.


In You, O Lord, ____ has taken refuge;
May she (or he) not be ashamed.
In Your righteousness deliver her.
Incline your ear to me--rescue her quickly.
Be to her a rock of strength, a stronghold to save,
For You are her rock and her fortress.
For Your name's sake, lead and guide her.
Pull her out of the net this illness has laid for her,
For You are her strength
Into Your hand I commit her, Lord.
Ransom her, O God of truth.

I hate the regarding of vain idols,
But I trust in You, Lord.
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have see ____'s affliction.
You know the troubles of her soul.
Don't give her over to the hand of this enemy.
Set her feet in a large place.

Be gracious to ____, Lord, for she is in distress.
Her eye is wasted away from grief, her soul and body also.
Her life is now spent with sorrow and sighing.
Strength fails her, and her body is wasting away.
Because of her illness she may feel like she's a reproach to her neighbors,
An object of dread to her acquaintances.
Some may not want to see her.
She may feel forgotten, our of mind, like a broken vessel.
She may have heard the words of many that terror is on every side.
Illness takes counsel against her, scheming for her life.

But she trusts in you, Lord, and I trust in You.
For You are our God.
Her times are in Your hand.
Deliver her from the hand of this illness and from its persecution.
Make Your face shine upon her.
Save her in Your lovingkindness.
Let her not be put to shame, O Lord,
For she calls upon You.
Let this illness be put to shame, let it be silent.
Let lying lips be dumb that speak arrogantly against ___
With pride and contempt.

How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for ____.
Which You have wrought for ____,
Because she takes refuge in You before the sons of men.
Hide ___ in the secret place of Your presence from this illness.
Keep her secretly in Your shelter from the strife of this disease.
Blessed be Your name, Lord,
For You have made marvelous Your lovingkindness to ____
During this besieged time.
If she says in alarm, "I am cut off from God's eyes!"--
Even then You hear her prayers and supplications when she cries to You.

I love You, Lord, I and all Your godly ones.
I know You preserve the faithful and fully recompense the proud doer.
Help ____ be strong. Help her heart take courage
For she hopes in You, Lord.

-- Amen.

7 comments:

Pam Halter said...

I am so thankful God gave us the Psalms. When I don't have the words, there they are. I only have to open my Bible.

Thanks, Brandilyn!

Betsy St. Amant said...

Powerful!

Eileen said...

Very very special. So comforting, those psalms. Thank you for sharing this prayer technique. First I've seen another person's name used. I will remember this. EE

Bonnie S. Calhoun said...

Years ago i taught praying the Psalms, in the Bible study class that I teach.

This is a good refresher. Thanks Brandilyn. I am going to use this to pray for Kristy.

Peggy Blann Phifer said...

Brandilyn, this is most powerful, and, as you said. so timely. You may have heard through the ACFW prayer loop that my sister Marty has just been diagnosed with a fast-growing glioblastoma multiforme tumor. Malignant. At this time, it has been declared inoperable.

She a strong Christian and loves the Lord. I will enter her name in this, and, aside from praying it myself continually for her, and all those that are hurting. May I have permission to print it and send it to my sister?

She'd be so blessed by it, I know.

~ Brandilyn Collins said...

Peggy, of course. I'm so sorry to hear of your sister. My heart goes out to you and your family.

Look through the Psalms and you'll find many more you can use to pray. They are powerful.

Peggy Blann Phifer said...

Thank you, Brandilyn. The prayer is on it's way to Marty.

I spoke to her this afternoon and she is in remarkably good spirits, but that's exactly what I would expect from my beloved sister.

God bless,