O Almighty God,
who art the giver of all life and health:
Look mercifully upon thy servant who is grievously afflicted;
ease his pain, support him in his weakness,
and grant him patience under his suffering.
If it be thy will, restore him to health and strength;
and whatsoever the outcome,
let him cast all his care upon thee,
who carest for him.
Grant this, O merciful Father,
for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
ANGLICAN 1662 AD
A Prayer for the Sick (BCP)
Also known as BCP Prayer for the Sick ยท Prayer at the Visitation of the Sick
About this prayer
The full text of A Prayer for the Sick (BCP) above is presented with its historical context, traditional meaning, and primary public-domain source.
This prayer is drawn from the Order for the Visitation of the Sick in the Book of Common Prayer of 1662, the foundational liturgical book of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion. The Visitation of the Sick is an ancient Christian rite, going back to the early Church and rooted in the New Testament instruction in James 5:14-15 that the elders of the Church should pray over those who are ill. The 1662 BCP form preserves this rite in a structured order that the minister or a layperson can pray at the bedside of a sick person.
The prayer asks God to look mercifully on the sick person, to ease their suffering, to grant patience under affliction, and, if it be God's will, to restore them to health. The framing is honest: it does not promise healing. It asks for it, and for the grace to endure if it does not come.
The text given here is in the public domain by age. The Book of Common Prayer of 1662 was the standard prayer book of the Church of England for over three centuries and remains in continuous liturgical use today in many Anglican parishes worldwide.
When it's said
Prayed at the bedside of a person who is seriously ill, by a priest, deacon, lay minister, family member, or friend. Used in the Anglican Visitation of the Sick rite and in private devotion. May be prayed by the sick person on their own behalf or by those caring for them. Also used in chaplaincy ministry, in hospitals, in hospices, and in home pastoral visitation.
Notes on the text
The petition 'if it be thy will, restore him to health and strength' is the characteristic Anglican framing of prayer for the sick: the prayer asks for healing while submitting to the larger will of God. This is the same theological pattern as Christ's prayer in Gethsemane ('not my will, but thine, be done,' Luke 22:42). 'Cast all his care upon thee, who carest for him' echoes 1 Peter 5:7. The phrase has been a touchstone of Christian pastoral care for sick and dying Christians across two thousand years. This text follows the 1662 BCP form. Modern Anglican prayer books (the 1979 American BCP, Common Worship 2000, the Australian Prayer Book) include parallel forms with similar theological framing.
Common questions
When is this prayer used?
It is used at the bedside of a person who is seriously ill, prayed by a priest, deacon, lay minister, family member, or friend. The 1662 Book of Common Prayer's Order for the Visitation of the Sick was historically the structured rite an Anglican priest would use when visiting a sick parishioner. The prayer is also used in private devotion, in chaplaincy, in hospital ministry, and at home.
Why does the prayer say 'if it be thy will'?
The phrase reflects the characteristic Anglican and broadly Christian framing of prayer for the sick: the prayer asks for healing while submitting to God's larger will. The pattern follows Christ's own prayer in Gethsemane: 'Not my will, but thine, be done' (Luke 22:42). It does not promise healing; it asks for it, and asks for the grace to endure if it does not come.
Is this prayer used outside the Anglican tradition?
Yes. The 1662 BCP prayers for the sick are widely used across ecumenical Christian ministry to the sick, including by Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian chaplains and clergy. The text is in the public domain by age and the theological framing is shared across the major Christian traditions. Modern Anglican prayer books (1979 American BCP, Common Worship 2000) preserve the same pattern in updated language.
Source
Book of Common Prayer, 1662, Order for the Visitation of the Sick. Public domain by age.
Last reviewed: June 2026 against primary source.