Bible Verses About Healing
The Bible speaks of God as one who cares for the sick and the broken-hearted. Psalm 147:3 says he tends the wounds of people whose hearts are broken, Jeremiah 17:14 is a simple cry to God for healing, and the Gospels, such as Matthew 9:35, show Jesus moving towards the sick with compassion.
When you or someone you love is unwell, prayer can feel both urgent and hard to find words for. These verses are honest cries for help and quiet reminders that God stays close in pain. They speak to wounded bodies and wounded hearts alike.
If you are struggling, please also talk to a doctor or someone you trust. If you are in danger or thinking about ending your life, call your local emergency number now. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, call or text 988. In the UK, Samaritans are on 116 123. Elsewhere, findahelpline.com lists free services. Reaching out for help is not a failure of faith.
When your body is hurting
Many of these words were prayed by people who were sick, frightened or worn down. They show that it is right to bring our pain to God and to ask for help. However the days unfold, you are not facing them alone.
Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14 (BSB)
The Lord will sustain him on his bed of illness and restore him from his bed of sickness.
Psalm 41:3 (BSB)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds - He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion,
Psalm 103:2-4 (BSB)
saying, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”
Exodus 15:26 (BSB)
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick. The Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
James 5:14-15 (BSB)
When your heart is broken
Some wounds do not show on the outside. Scripture speaks just as tenderly about broken hearts as broken bodies. These verses are for grief, betrayal, regret and the hurts that are hard to name.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 (BSB)
O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.
Psalm 30:2 (BSB)
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (BSB)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners,
Isaiah 61:1 (BSB)
Jesus moves towards the sick
Wherever Jesus went, the sick and suffering came to him, and he did not turn them away. He touched people others avoided and listened to people others ignored. These passages show the compassion of God made visible.
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.
Matthew 9:35 (BSB)
When He stepped ashore and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matthew 14:14 (BSB)
“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction.”
Mark 5:34 (BSB)
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,
Luke 4:18 (BSB)
Waiting with hope
Not every prayer is answered the way or the time we hope, and scripture does not hide from that. It holds out a deeper hope: that God is renewing us inwardly and that one day every tear will be wiped away. These verses are for the long wait.
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 (BSB)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (BSB)
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
Malachi 4:2 (BSB)
‘He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,’ and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4 (BSB)
A prayer
Gracious God, you know the pain I am carrying in my body and in my heart. I bring it to you honestly, with all my questions. Stay close to me in the hard days and the long nights. Give wisdom and gentle hands to everyone caring for me. Where I am afraid, give me peace, and where I am weary, carry me. Whatever tomorrow holds, help me to know I am held by you. Amen.
Questions people ask
What is a good Bible verse to pray for healing?
Jeremiah 17:14 is a short, honest prayer many people use, asking God for healing and saving. Psalm 147:3 is often prayed for emotional and spiritual wounds. Many Christians also pray Psalm 103:2-4, which calls the soul to remember all of God's benefits and kindness.
What does James 5:14-15 say about the sick?
James 5:14-15 encourages anyone who is sick to call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. Churches across traditions draw on this passage, including the Catholic and Orthodox anointing of the sick and prayer ministry in Protestant churches.
Did Jesus heal people?
Yes. The Gospels describe Jesus healing many people, including the blind, people unable to walk and people with leprosy, often touching those others kept away from. Matthew 9:35 summarises his ministry as teaching, preaching good news and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Keep reading
A verse for how you feel, every morning
FaithGuide asks how you are feeling, then gives you a verse, a short reflection and a prayer for exactly that. Anxious, weary, grateful or hopeful, there is scripture for it. Free to start on iPhone and Android.
Scripture quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), which is in the public domain.