Pennel’s Ponderings – Praying For The Sick

Pennel's-Ponderings---Praying-For-The-Sick

Brentwood United Methodist Church’s Bishop Pennel shares his thought weekly on their website. He has graciously allowed us to repost them here for you. Pastor Joe E. Pennel Jr. is also a professor at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

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Ponderings – Praying for the Sick

We receive many sincere requests to pray for the sick. How to pray? What to pray? What to do? These are simple questions that need our attention when we are requested to pray for those who are in the midst of illness.

Our prayers for the sick can be helped if we would write a prayer that can be “said” or “prayed” when such requests come to us. Here is a prayer that I wrote that serves as starting point for intercessory prayer:

Kind and gracious God, please draw near to (name) who now lives with sickness. Grant (name) the assurance that you are present and caring. Look upon (name) with mercy and forgiveness and give unto (name) that which mortals cannot give even your healing presence. Give the power of healing to the miracles of modern medicine and to those who minister to their needs. May all who come to (name) be instruments of your love and care.

May we, as family and friends, be helpful in this journey and forgive us if we should make mistakes. Uphold the faith of (name’s) family that they might trust you as never before.Grant unto the family all that they need to care for their loved one.

I ask this in the name of Jesus who healed the sick and is the physician of our souls. If (name) should be restored to health, may he/she live for your purposes be an instrument of your glory, and be a living vessel for doing good. AMEN

If we sincerely pray for a person we will be drawn to the needs of that person and that person’s family. Prayer does that. It takes us to those for whom we pray. How this “works” is….

Worth Pondering,

Joe E. Pennel Jr.
Pastor

[email protected]

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Originally posted May 20, 2012