Healing for the heart
Not every wound shows up on a scan. Grief, betrayal, depression and shame can hurt as much as any illness, and the Bible speaks to them just as tenderly.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Psalm 147:3 pictures God as a doctor who binds up wounds. Psalm 34:18 promises closeness before it promises repair: the LORD is “nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18, KJV). You do not have to pretend your sorrow is lighter than it is. If it has settled in and will not lift, see our Bible verses about depression, and talk to a doctor or counselor as well as to God.
If you are thinking about ending your life, please reach out now. In the US and Canada, call or text 988. In the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123. Anywhere else, you can find a helpline at findahelpline.com.
Healing in Christ: Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24
Isaiah 53 describes a servant of God who suffers for others, and the New Testament recognizes Him as Jesus. Its best-known line, in the King James wording, is “with his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, KJV). Stripes are the wounds left by a whip.
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
“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.”
“When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.”
“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
The New Testament reads the chapter in two ways. Matthew applies verse 4 to Jesus healing the sick (Matthew 8:16-17). Peter applies verse 5 to the cross, where Jesus carried our sins so that we could live for what is right (1 Peter 2:24). So the healing here is first the healing of our relationship with God, and it reaches the body too.
Christians differ on how much bodily healing that promises now. The Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal church, teaches that deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers; its own paper on divine healing also says that, until Christ returns, some are healed at once, some gradually, and some are not healed. The Catholic Catechism says that even the most intense prayers do not always obtain healing, and points to Paul's experience in 2 Corinthians 12 (Catechism 1508). Both pray for the sick with hope, and both look to the resurrection for the healing that is complete. For more, read does God still heal?
When healing waits
This is the hardest part of the page. Some people pray for years and are not healed. Some die. If that is your story, or the story of someone you love, the Bible does not ask you to pretend.
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Paul prayed three times for his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7, KJV) to be taken away, and the answer was not healing but grace. He also left his co-worker Trophimus sick at Miletum (2 Timothy 4:20). The apostles saw remarkable healings, and they still lived with illness. Not being healed does not mean you lacked faith, or that God has turned away from you.
Romans 8:18 does not make pain small; it sets it beside something larger. Revelation 21:4 is the healing every believer is promised: a day with no more death, sorrow, crying or pain. Until then, lament is allowed. Psalm 13 begins “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD?” (Psalm 13:1, KJV), and it is in the Bible for people who are still waiting. You may also find help in why does God allow suffering?
Healing scriptures to pray over someone
When someone you love is sick, it helps to pray with the Bible open. Here are four verses turned into short prayers. Use the person's name where you see (name), and change the words to fit.
When you pray for someone who is sick
Lord, when Miriam was sick, her brother Moses cried out to You in a few plain words, and You heard him. I bring (name) to You the same way. Heal them, O God. Ease their pain, quiet their fears, and give their doctors and nurses wisdom and steady hands. Amen.
“Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.”
When you cannot be there
Jesus, a centurion once trusted You to heal his servant without coming to the house, and You did. I cannot sit beside (name) right now, but You are with them. Speak Your word over them. Bring rest to their body and peace to their mind, and let them know they are not alone. Amen.
“speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”
For a long illness
Father, (name) is worn out. The days are long and the body is tired. Renew them on the inside, day by day, even while their strength fades. Give them good sleep, small mercies and people who make them laugh. Hold them when they cannot hold on. Amen.
“though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
For the whole person
Lord, I pray for (name) the way the elder prayed for his friend Gaius: health in body and health in soul. Heal what is sick, mend what is broken, and draw them close to You through all of it. Amen.
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.”
For more, see our prayers for healing, and if an operation is coming, our prayers for surgery.
Frequently asked
What are the best healing scriptures?
Many people return to "Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed" (Jeremiah 17:14, KJV), Psalm 103:2-3, Psalm 41:3 for anyone confined to bed, Psalm 147:3 for a broken heart, and James 5:14-16 on praying for the sick. Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24 point to the healing Jesus won on the cross, and Revelation 21:4 to the day when there will be no more pain.
Does God still heal today?
Christians in the main traditions pray for the sick and believe God can and does heal, sometimes through medicine and sometimes in ways doctors cannot explain. They differ on whether healing is promised to every believer in this life. The Bible shows both answered prayers and faithful people who stayed sick, and it promises complete healing at the resurrection (Revelation 21:4). Our page Does God Still Heal? looks at the question in depth.
What does "by his stripes we are healed" mean?
The words come from Isaiah 53:5, which the King James Version renders "with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5, KJV). Stripes are the wounds of a whipping. Peter applies the verse to the cross: Christ "bare our sins in his own body on the tree... by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Peter 2:24, KJV). The healing in view is first forgiveness and new life with God, and Matthew 8:17 shows the same chapter reaching to bodily healing in the ministry of Jesus.
If I am not healed, does it mean I lack faith?
No. Paul asked three times for relief and was told, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9, KJV). He left his co-worker Trophimus sick (2 Timothy 4:20), and Timothy had frequent illnesses (1 Timothy 5:23). Faith is trust in God, not a force that guarantees an outcome. Keep praying, keep receiving care, and let others carry you when you cannot carry yourself.
Is it wrong for a Christian to go to the doctor?
No. Prayer and medicine are not rivals. Paul calls Luke "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14, KJV), and he recommended a simple remedy to Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23). Pray for healing, and also see your doctor, take your treatment and accept help. God often heals through the people and means He has given.
What does James 5 mean by anointing with oil?
James 5:14 tells a sick person to call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The Catholic Church celebrates this as the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, and the Orthodox Church as Holy Unction, for the healing of soul and body. Whatever your church's practice, the heart of the passage is the same: the sick are not meant to suffer alone, and the church is called to come and pray.
When you cannot pray
If you are too sick or too tired to pray, let this be enough: the Spirit prays for us “with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26, KJV). God hears sighs as well as sentences. Ask your church to pray. Let a friend read these verses to you, or let Faithero read the chapter aloud while you rest, with a sleep timer if you need one.
Healing may come quickly, slowly, or on the far side of the resurrection. But it will come from a God who has not forgotten you. He says of His people, “they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15, KJV).
Healing scriptures for the body
These verses speak to physical sickness. The first passage is a plain instruction for what to do when you are ill; the rest are prayers you can borrow and promises to hold on to.
Praying for the sick (James 5:14-16)
James gives the sick person something to do: call the elders of the church, let them pray and anoint with oil in the Lord's name, and confess sins to one another. The promise is that “the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up” (James 5:15, KJV).
Churches put this into practice in different ways. The Catholic Church sees in this passage the rite it celebrates as the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, which is not only for those who are dying (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1510-1514). Orthodox churches celebrate Holy Unction, praying for the healing of soul and body, and many Orthodox parishes celebrate it each year on Holy Wednesday. Whatever your church's practice, the instruction is simple enough to follow: tell your pastor or church leaders that you are sick, and ask them to come and pray with you.
Asking for prayer is not a substitute for medical care. Paul calls his companion Luke “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14, KJV), and he told Timothy to take a little wine for his frequent stomach trouble (1 Timothy 5:23). Pray, and keep your appointments and take your treatment. God often heals through doctors, nurses and medicine.
Promises and prayers for the body
Psalm 41:3 is one of the gentlest verses in the Bible for anyone stuck in bed: God strengthens the sick “upon the bed of languishing” (Psalm 41:3, KJV). He is with you in the long hours, not only at the moment you recover. Psalm 103:2-3 sets healing beside forgiveness, two gifts from the same hands, and Psalm 30:2 is the thanks of someone who cried out and was healed. Jeremiah 17:14 is a prayer you can pray word for word.