Prayer for Patience in Sickness

Merciful God, Gracious Father! Behold I poor mortal lie here upon this bed of sickness, and cannot move from it. But I come to Thee, and appear before Thy exalted throne. It has pleased Thee, my Father, to lay this affliction upon me, and to send me sickness instead of the health which I hitherto enjoyed. Now therefore, O God and Father, Thy will be done; but grant me patience, so that I may bear it all without murmuring or rebelling.

Thou hast blessed me with many pleasant days; shall I not also bear evil days when Thou seest fit to send them? Though Thou hast chastened me sore, Thou wilt not forsake me. Since I have received good at Thy hands, and have often been refreshed and gladdened by Thee in days of health, I will by Thy grace, bear these days of sickness and suffering in patience. In all humility I will call to mind the good and happy days of health which I have enjoyed in my life-time, and compared with which these few hours of suffering are hardly sufficient to be counted.

I know, O God, that Thou art loving and gracious; therefore Thou wilt not lay upon me a greater burden than I can bear. I cling to Thy Word which says: “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

O my God, Thou knowest how much I am able to bear; Thou knowest my weakness: and therefore Thou wilt regulate my sufferings according to my strength. Look upon Thy weak and sick child, and deal with me according to Thy Fatherly love. I do not refuse to suffer; for I know that Thy thoughts toward me are thoughts of good, and that Thou wouldest have my sufferings promote my sanctification.

My God, here am I; do with me as seemeth good in Thy sight. Grant me grace to realize that it is Thy holy purpose to employ this sickness as a purifying fire, which shall consume and remove from my soul the impurities which still cling to it; as an alarm-bell, which shall awaken me to a consideration of my sins, that I may repent; as a prayer-bell, which shall call on me to seek the forgiveness of all my transgressions for the sake of the blood and death of Jesus; yea, as a voice which calls to me, “Set thy house in order, and think of thy death and the grave; prepare thyself for eternity.”

Be it so; and do Thou prepare and fashion me in such a manner as to make me what Thou wouldest have me to be in eternity. For I know that an eternal and transcendent glory shall follow upon the sufferings of this present time. Therefore be calm, my soul! Why art thou cast down, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God. Amen.