Prayer to Entrust Life and Death to God

O kind and gracious and merciful God! Confined in body to my bed of sickness, I yet come in spirit before Thy holy throne with my sighing and supplication. I see that it is Thy will, O God, that I should lie here sick, and be deprived for a season of the blessed gift of health. But since it is Thy will, it shall be mine also. Thy will and my will shall be one. I was born according to Thy will, and I will die when Thou wilt. I was well a long time according to Thy will, and now I am willing to be sick according to Thy good pleasure and as long as Thou seest that it will be good and profitable for my soul. Yea, my God; even if it were possible for me to get well in opposition to Thy will, I would not desire to do so; but would rather fulfill Thy gracious purposes upon my sickbed. Therefore I will now say with Jesus: Father, not my will, but Thine be done. And again, The Lord’s will be done. Should I live longer in this world, I will continue to praise Thee, and spend in Thy service and in true piety the years which Thou dost grant me upon earth. But if it be Thy will that I shall not rise again from this bed, but die of this disease, do Thou make me ready for a happy death. I know that some time my earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved; but I also know that I have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. In heaven is my heritage, my fatherland, my citizenship. Why should I not rejoice to enter upon my inheritance, to hasten to my fatherland, and to enjoy the glory of the children of God. Though I have reason to pray for the prolonging and preservation of my life, it is still a question whether it would not be better for me to depart and to be with Christ, to behold my Saviour, whom I loved even while I did not see Him. Therefore, O God, I leave it all to Thee; Thou knowest best what is salutary for me, Behold, here am I; the Lord do with me as seemeth good in His sight. Amen.