You’ve heard the old saying, “Life isn’t always fair.”
Perhaps you’ve found a lump, or an unexpected diagnosis has rocked your world. Maybe you’re like this woman, whose husband was the most faithful, Christ-like man a person could know, and still, he was tragically ripped from this heartbreaking earth for reasons we will never know on this side of Heaven. Wherever you’re at in your journey, the seemingly juvenile thought of “life isn’t fair” has surely crossed your mind.
And while that may be the case, as believers we have something that the rest of the world has yet to discover: The power of prayer.
More importantly, the HEALING power of prayer.
We have the power of prayer at our fingertips. But isn’t it funny that we find ourselves searching for how to pray when we’re hurting?
Think about a time in your life when your relationship with God was strengthened by an easy circumstance. Sure, your praise may have increased, or changed at the top of your mountain, but it’s in the valleys — our darkest, most difficult seasons — when our faith becomes the focus. That’s because we learn how to pray THROUGH the storm, not before or after it.
Knowing how to pray in your darkest seasons is not a one-size fits all thing. It’s totally different in every circumstance, which is why we essentially re-learn how to pray in every season.
God WILL, in fact, give you more than you could ever possibly handle on your own. Because we were never made to do this life without desperately needing Him.
Don’t get me wrong, an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God, the Lord does not bring us through mountains and valleys for our suffering. He longs to be near to us. And that happens when we learn how to pray desperate, totally humbling, RAW, and authentic prayers.
His testing of our faith is with a treasured goal in mind. Not one that is our own, but ALWAYS a blessing beyond our wildest dreams. And in learning how to pray for healing and fresh hope, we grow not just closer TO God, but we grow IN Him.
Even more notable is that He doesn’t just deliver you through thick and thin, the Lord literally walks WITH you, right by your side through every season.
Still, we know our hearts will break. We know our hope will be shattered and we will need to heal in order to grow stronger.
It’s in those desperate times when healing scriptures hold more power than we could ever comprehend. The word of the Lord IS our strength, and God provides exactly the healing we need through healing scriptures.
Whether it’s your mother’s death weighing heavily on your soul, a miscarriage…or seven, cancer that has robbed you of all energy and physical strength, or simply just a dark season where there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel; you are not alone. You are never alone.
There’s no knowing how to pray when you are hurting, but these 10 healing scriptures and songs might just do the trick.
1. James 5:15-16
If you’re going through a trial, there’s no better place to start than the book of James. I mean the book itself starts by telling us to be joyful when we encounter trials of any kind, which is totally counterintuitive to the way our minds actually work. The deeper we get into the book of James, the more we learn about trials, healing, and how to pray when you are hurting.
“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:15-15)
2. Isaiah 53:4-5
Another book to turn to during times of trial and persecution is Isaiah. Isaiah 53 is a prophecy, heavily focused on the injustices and hurting that Jesus Christ would face during His time on earth. Despite the oppression and anguish that he would face at the hands of his own broken people, Jesus “bore the sin of many,” and by his wounds, we are HEALED.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)
By His Wounds, by Mac Powell, Brian Littrell, Steven Curtis Chapman and Mark Hall
3. Psalm 147:3
It’s easier to know how to pray during times of trial and hurting, when you know the promises God has laid before you. More often than not, prayer is not about requesting from the Lord, but rather, finding comfort in the position He has you in. The best way to do that is by speaking Truth.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
This beautiful song reminds us that God is near the brokenhearted.
4. 2 Chronicles 7:14
If you want to know how to pray for healing, I would start first by repenting. We are sinners by nature, and there is always something (whether it be big or small) that we allow into our lives to take control. Repent of your sins, and place God at the forefront of that brokenness.
“If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
This verse makes me think of the song, “Sinking Deep,” by Hillsong Worship. The lyrics are: “Your love so deep, it’s washing over me, your face is all I seek, you are my everything. Jesus Christ, you are my one desire, Lord hear my only cry, to know you all my life.”
What a beautiful visual of how to pray as we see in 2 Chronicles 7:14: He says seek my face, and you will be healed and forgiven.
5. Jeremiah 30:17
The book of Jeremiah is full of hope. You may know Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you”—declares the Lord—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, but to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah is full of God’s promises, and when we know how to pray those promises, THAT is where healing begins!
“But I will bring you health and heal you of your wounds—this is the Lord’s declaration.” (Jeremiah 30:17)
6. Psalm 103:1-5
There is so much healing that can be found in praise. So often we go to God with desperate requests, and we fail to see the GOODNESS in what He is still doing — even in our suffering. Y’all the Lord is SO so good to us! He is Jehovah Rapha, The Lord that heals.
“Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:1-5)
If you’re turning to this verse for comfort in healing, I also recommend checking out Matt Redman’s song: “1000 Reasons.”
7. Deuteronomy 32:39
God promises that He will heal. We see those promises over and over and over again. But there is comfort in every single one of those promises. Deuteronomy not only promises healing, but it emphasizes the POWER of the Lord, something that trumps everyone and everything in Heaven and on Earth.
“See now that I myself am he! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.” (Deuteronomy 32:39)
8. Revelation 21:4
Knowing how to pray when you are hurting, is really just knowing God’s promises for healing. The Bible closes with the book of Revelation — a prophecy of the Lord and testimony of Jesus Christ. It tells of what is to come — in the days following His death, and beyond. Revelation is a warning but also a promise of the many ways God will always go before you.
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
9. Proverbs 4:20-22
Hold tight to the words of the Lord and you will surely know how to pray for the healing, comfort and health that you need. He tells us this in Proverbs, and again, His promises prevail.
“My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.” (Proverbs 4:20-22)
10. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
In everything, there is a season. God confirms that in Ecclesiastes. So in life, it’s not about whether or not you’ll enter a certain season, it’s knowing how to pray WHEN you enter that season.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
My prayer is that this list has provided you with resources and tools in knowing how to pray with God at your right hand. Turn to the Lord when your heart and spirit is broken, and He will lift you up.
And when all else fails, stand firm in the promise that you are already healed.
