Pastoral Prayers for the Hospital Visit

This book contains prayers for the pastor's use in the hospital. When doing hospital visitation, pastors are often called upon to pray. But what should they pray for? What if the person for whom prayer is offered will not get better? What if there is more suffering ahead? What if there is inconsolable fear and grief? The prayers in this book will help the pastor bring words of comfort and encouragement to persons who are often traveling in the dark night of the soul. Prayers include praying for someone (adult, teen, and child, family member, friend, hospital staff) with chronic pain, cancer, who will not get well, who was raped, who faces surgery, miscarriage, just got the news they will die, victim of violence, waiting to hear test results, anticipating bad news, psych ward admission, Alzheimer's patient, Unconscious, lost a baby in childbirth, refuses to be comforted, drug addict, alcoholic, wants to die but doesn't, wants to give life to Christ, wants communion and/or baptism, who is angry at God for illness, wants peace, who wants to go home but can't, who has lost home, who faces a long illness, feels guilty about surviving, has lost other family members, has lost other friends, caused the accident, is afraid of knowing what happened, had a near-death experience, who thinks he/she is getting better but won't, who is afraid to tell family something, who needs courage/grace to endure, has AIDS, has nightmares or intrusive thoughts, can't find what is wrong, who is worried about money or paying for hospital, feels guilty for being there, needs strength for rehab, needs a transplant, needs your blessing. Sara Webb Phillips is Pastor of Discipleship of First United Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. She is the author of In Spirit & Truth: United Methodist Worship for the Emerging Church (Equipping the Future Church Series) published by Discipleship Resources.