A Little Prayer For A Sick Child

As believers, we are all called to be ministers. Ministering to others is not just for full-time church pastors! We all can and should minister to others. So, if we know a sick child, we don’t have to wait for a pastor to pray for him. We can pray for the child and minister to him and his parents ourselves.

Heavenly Father, use me as a vessel of blessing for whichever sick child I may meet. Stir up love and compassion in my heart so that I may minister to them out of love and the desire to reflect Christ to them. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Call To Pray

James 5:14–16 shows us that elders, pastors, and our church ministers should pray for the sick, but it does not mean that such duty to pray for healing upon the sick only falls upon them. We can confidently deduce that this verse also teaches us to be a community of believers who pray for healing upon each other.

We should do so because we love one another. We show our love for our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith by praying for whatever concerns or burdens they may have. We minister and give them peace through prayer (Philippians 4:6–7), and we also carry their burdens through praying as if their burden is also ours (Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.). When we do so, we are fulfilling the law of Christ to love one another, by which all will know that we are His disciples (John 13:34–35). We should show love by praying for a sick child—whether she is our fellow brother or sister in the faith, the child of our fellow brother or sister in the faith, or a child we don’t know. As we pray and do good, may we not grow weary in doing it (Galatians 6:9  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.).

We are called to pray because we are called to love.

 

Confidence in Christ

Have you ever hesitated to pray healing upon others because you thought you weren’t qualified? The idea that ministry is reserved for pastors is one of the main reasons Christians neglect to pray healing upon a sick child (or anyone). But this simply isn’t true. When praying for healing upon others, we pray solely based on being in Christ.

In James 5:14–16, it is written that the prayer of a righteous person has great power and is effective. So is righteousness required for one’s prayers to work and reach God? If this were the case, no one should be able to pray to God about anything since none is righteous at all! However, our basis for praying is not our righteousness—which doesn’t exist—but Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.). 

We believe in the righteousness Christ has imputed to us, and it becomes our confidence and basis for praying for healing upon a sick child. That is why our boldness when approaching God’s throne of grace is Christ (Hebrews 4:16).

Practical Ways To Pray and Minister to a Sick Child

Obviously, the goal of praying for a sick child is healing and recovery from whatever sickness she may have. However, you are not limited to praying only for that. You can pray for other related matters, like provision for the child’s medical expenses, a successful operation if she is about to undergo one, peace if she feels uncertain or anxious, and many others. A great thing you can do is ask the child or her parents if they have any prayer requests.

As you minister to a sick child, you can do much more than just pray for the child himself. You can motivate and encourage the child and his parents and be life-giving towards them. You can pray and minister to them by simply approaching them and asking them if you can pray for the child. If you know the parents, approaching them should be easy, but you can do this even to strangers—and who knows? It might be an opportunity to preach the Gospel, which is their greatest need.

Father in heaven, I pray for this lovely child that You will heal him from his sickness. Cause every cell and organ in his body to recover and rejuvenate in Jesus’s name. I pray for financial provision for the parents, as they have hospital bills to pay. I pray for peace and stillness in the hearts of the child and his parents as they navigate this season. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

As you minister to a sick child, always do so from a heart that desires to love. In 1 Corinthians 16:14 (ESV), we are commanded to let all that we do be done in love. Do so also in faith, knowing that nothing is too hard for the Lord. The Lord can accomplish that which He wills.