3 Prayers for Physical Pain

My head hurts.

That’s a common phrase for me. Whether it’s in my head or coming out of my mouth, I hate complaining. Yet sometimes it’s the only thought I can process.

Pain is… well, painful. It’s distracting to say the least and can often consume your thoughts.

A few months after my migraine first started, my neurologist told me about another one of his patients. She had a migraine for three years and then her head just stopped hurting one day. He never figured out why, but he was trying to encourage me that it wasn’t a forever thing.

3 years sounded like forever after just 3 months… but almost 4 years later… well that's a different story. Click To Tweet

But three years sounded like forever back then and his story was anything but encouraging.

Looking back on that doctor visit now, 3.5+ years into my migraine journey, it sounds delightful. If my head would just up and stop hurting, I might dance a jig. Okay, I probably wouldn’t, because I’d be afraid it would make my head hurt again. Let’s just be real.

However, even when the only thought I can process is, “my head hurts,” I’ve found I can take that pain to God in prayer. It took me three years to really grasp this, but here I am.

3 Types of Prayers for Physical Pain

When my head hurts to the point of distraction, there are three types of prayers I’ve started praying. All pain hurts, not just chronic pain. I would encourage you that if you’re looking for prayers for physical pain. these are some great ways to pray… even when it’s hard to think.

1.) Crying Out for Help

There are times when all we can manage are one or three word prayers.

“Lord, help me.”
“God, please!”
“Make it stop.”

God hears those prayers for physical pain. He knows where our hearts are.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

We can lean into that promise when we are in so much physical pain we simply can’t do anything more.

2.) Praying Scripture

When you hurt so bad you can’t think, sometimes reading the prayers of others is the best you can do. When my head hurts so bad I can’t think, praying Scripture is often my go to.

Psalm 69 is one of my go-to prayers…

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.

Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. Hide not your face from your servant, for I am in distress; make haste to answer me. Draw near to my soul, redeem me; ransom me because of my enemies!
Psalm 69:13-18

3.) Giving it All to Jesus

I’ve also found that shifting my focus from the pain to something else really does help. Even when I don’t think I can process any other thoughts, if I start praying for someone else, it can distract me from my pain. If I surrender my pain to Jesus and ask Him to help me be productive. He hears me when I call.

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
Psalm 4:1

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Do You Have Any Prayers for Physical Pain?

I hope you don’t deal with chronic pain like I do, but even if pain is temporary, it still hurts. How do you cling to Jesus when you’re in pain?

If you liked this post, you’ll love my new book, Clinging to Jesus. Whether it’s your head, your back, your joints, or something else, when we feel miserable, we can let that awful feeling consume us. But God doesn’t give us more than we can handle with Him in our hearts. Pick up your copy of Clinging to Jesus today and discover ten ways God can use pain to draw you closer to Himself.