This morning prayer asks God to watch over your body, your energy and the people who rely on you, as you begin the day. Pray it when you first wake, while you are still sitting on the edge of the bed, or while the coffee is brewing and the house is quiet. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and put your own words in where your concerns are different.
Morning Prayers for Good Health
Lord, thank You for this new morning and for the breath You gave me while I slept. I do not know everything this day will ask of my body. Some of it may be ordinary: the stairs, the commute, the lifting, the standing at the sink. Some of it may be harder, like the ache in my back, the tiredness that will not lift, the appointment I am dreading, or the worry I keep carrying about a symptom I have not mentioned to anyone. Give me wisdom to take care of the body You have entrusted to me, to rest when I need to and to move when I can. Steady my energy so that I am not running on empty by noon.
I also bring You the people I will see today. Be with my children as they get ready for school, and with my coworkers, my neighbors and the friend who is waiting on news from her doctor. Hold each of them in their own health concerns, the ones they carry quietly and the ones everyone can see. Guard my mind from anxious thoughts that keep me awake, and remind me that I can hand each worry to You as it arises. Let my hands do good work today, and let my heart be at peace in the middle of it. Thank You that You are near, and that You are faithful to renew strength. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, I start this day in Your hands. Be my strength where I am weak and my rest where I am tired. Guard my body, my breath and my heart as I move through the morning. Watch over the people I love and the ones I will meet, and give us all the health we need for the work You have given us to do. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 103:2-3
2 Praise the LORD, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits; 3 who forgives all your sins; who heals all your diseases…
(WEB)
Read this slowly before you name your own needs. David calls the reader to remember the good things God has done, including healing, and you can begin the day by thanking God for what He has already given.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
(WEB)
Pray this when you feel depleted before the day has really started. Ask God to renew your strength so that you can keep going without losing heart.
Psalm 121:7-8
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil. He will keep your soul. 8 The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.
(WEB)
Use this as you leave the house. Ask the Lord to keep you going out and coming in, on the road, at work and at home, through the whole day.
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.
(WEB)
Pray this for yourself and for someone you love who is struggling with their health. It is a short prayer that God would bring good health to the soul and the body together.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
When morning worry starts to crowd in, pray this passage over it. Bring each concern to God with thanksgiving, and ask Him to guard your heart and mind with His peace.
How to Pray This Prayer
Try praying the full prayer while you are sitting somewhere quiet before the day gets loud, such as a chair by the window, the kitchen table or the edge of the bed. If your hands need something to do, hold a mug of warm water or rest them open in your lap, palms up, as a sign that you are letting go of what you cannot control. Keep a note on your phone or a card on the bathroom mirror with the shorter version so you can pray it between tasks.
You can also pray this together with someone in your home or a close friend who checks in with you each morning. Take turns reading a line and let the other person add a name or a concern. If you are praying for someone who is sick, place a hand on their shoulder or hold their hand while you read the blessing, and remember that you do not need perfect words for God to hear you.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord keep you strong in body and steady in spirit today. May He give rest where you are weary, healing where you are hurting and peace where you are anxious. May His goodness go before you and walk beside you through every hour of this day.
