Prayers for Surgery for a Friend + Prayers for Families and Physicians

If you have a loved one who’s about to go into surgery, you may be looking for a way to further show your support to them…or you may just be looking for peace of mind yourself. Whether you believe in the power of prayer or not, saying a prayer for a friend can help put your mind at ease and refocus your love for them. We’ve compiled a list of prayers for your friend’s surgery, recovery, and the well-being of their family and physicians. We hope they can bring you some peace during this difficult time.

Section 1 of 6:

Prayers for Your Friend

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You love your friend and want them to make it through this surgery peacefully and safely. Aside from supporting them and their family through physical favors (doing chores, watching children, making food for them, etc.) send a few of these prayers their way.
- “Holy Spirit, please fill the operating room today, give your gift of healing to my friend, and protect them from harm. Please stay with them and carry them through to recovery.”
- “God, please be with us in our time of need and let ____ have a successful surgery with no complications.”
- “God, please take _____’s pain away, let their suffering be relieved by your power, and let your Son heal their wounds. Grant them mercy and safe passage, let us give our cares to you as you command us to, and please grant this prayer.”
- “God, you are the creator of all things, mightier than anything else. I surrender myself to you and ask for your help, I ask you to bless my friend, bless their doctors and nurses, to be with them when I can’t be. Grant them peace and heal their wounds so they can continue to exalt your name and live a good life, may the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost accompany them and bring them out the other side, healed and unharmed.”
- “May ____ be wrapped in God’s love, be cherished, safe, and comfortable, may _____ be held in God’s heart and delivered from suffering, may the healing power of God wash over _____’s body.”
- “God, please show me how I can best support _____ during this time. Calm their nerves before surgery and let them feel you with them, grant the medical team the intimate knowledge only you have of _____’s ailments and guide them towards a successful procedure. I pray that you will bless them with safety, health, and peace.”

Section 2 of 6:

Prayers for Medical Staff

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The physicians in the operating room are there to care for your friend and heal them any way they can. Pray to St. Luke, the patron saint of physicians, or who/whatever you’d like to, and ask for their work to be blessed and to go off without a hitch.^{[1]
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- “Jesus, be with my friend in the operating room today, be with everyone performing and assisting the surgery, lead their hands with grace and mercy.”
- “St. Luke, pray for the protection of my friend, pray for the doctors and nurses performing the surgery. Ask God on ____’s behalf that their doctors do their best work tomorrow.”
- “Lord, thank you for the gift of medicine, for the opportunity for my friend to receive treatment. Please guide the doctors and nurses during surgery, and make their work easy. Bless them for the care they give others, and let them heal my friend.”
- ”Please let the doctors and nurses be alert and well rested, let this surgery be routine and have no complications. Please let them be kind and caring to my friend, and give their absolute best effort to get them well.

Section 3 of 6:

Prayers for Families

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Surgery can really take a toll on the patient’s family, as well.^{[2]
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Research source} Support them physically by cooking meals for them, going to the store, cleaning their house, and just visiting your friend with them. To go above and beyond, consider saying a few prayers for the family.
- “God, please grant ____ and their family strength. I know you’re always with us, but now especially, I ask you to let us feel your presence and power. Uplift us as we wait for the results, please see us through in one piece.”
- ”Lord, please take away the anxiety _____’s family is feeling. Let them be strong in the face of fear, help lift their burdens, hold them in your palm, and rest in their hearts. Please, Lord, grant them peace.”

Section 4 of 6:

Prayers After Surgery

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After their surgery, support your friend by talking to them, visiting them in the hospital, and bringing them gifts and homey items, like framed pictures.^{[3]
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- “Jesus, thank you for carrying my friend through, for holding them during surgery and delivering them from harm. Please stay with them now, help them through recovery, let it be quick and easy, and please return them to us healthy, happy, and whole.”
- “Thank you, God, Holy Spirit, we praise your name for granting _____ a successful surgery, their recovery is a blessing from you we couldn’t be more grateful for. Thank you, thank you for your love and kindness, thank you for taking care of ______, bless you and your healing powers.”
- “May _____ be back in good health soon, may their wounds heal without complications, may their pain quickly go away and their abilities return to them. Let them recover peacefully and be stronger and better for this whole process.”

Section 5 of 6:

Bible Verses for Healing and Encouragement

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If you’re looking for extra encouragement and religious help, the Bible has several verses on healing the sick, recovery, and hope. Isaiah 38:16-17 and 41:10, Romans 8:28 and 15:13, and Deuteronomy 31:6 are all great examples of uplifting and healing verses.
- Isaiah 38:16-17: “Those live whom the LORD protects; yours is the life of my spirit. You have given me health and restored my life! Peace in place of bitterness! You have preserved my life from the pit of destruction; Behind your back you cast all my sins.”^{[4]
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- Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”^{[5]
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- Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”^{[6]
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- Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”^{[7]
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- Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”^{[8]
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Section 6 of 6:

Supporting Your Friend

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Talk to your friend about their upcoming surgery. Having a surgery can be very scary and make people feel alone (they’re the only one going on the operating table) so be open to talking to your friend about the experience they’re about to have. If they share fears with you, talk through them.^{[9]
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- Offer words of encouragement whenever you talk to them. You don’t have to be too heavy-handed, but it can help someone deal with their fear of surgery to hear someone say “I have a feeling you’re going to make it out all right.”
- Some people may not want to talk about their surgery, and that’s okay too. As a friend, all you need to do is be open to the conversation and respect their wishes.
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Offer to be with them during appointments and visit them at the hospital. Your friend may be feeling nervous about going into the doctor’s office alone. While some people prefer seeing their doctor in private, it’s kind to offer your assistance.^{[10]
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Research source} If you go with them, ask if they’d like you to come into the office or if you should wait outside.
- This can be especially helpful if your friend is speaking to a doctor in their second language or if they have memory problems, mobility issues, or difficulty hearing/speaking.
Some environments can be dangerous for people right after they’ve had surgery. If their house is particularly cluttered, ask if you can clean it up so they don’t trip on anything.^{[11]
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Research source} If they live on the second floor, see if you can make a temporary bedroom for them on the first floor.
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Do their chores and bring them food. Since your friend will need some time to recover, offer to make them dinner, clean their house, go to the store for them, take care of their children or pets, or just do any little favor they need. If you have a car, offer to drive them to follow-up appointments.
- When your friend is in recovery, it’s kind to just be there for them. Be a shoulder to lean on, if they need it and listen to their needs. By helping them through this time, you’re showing them you love them.

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If you’re Catholic, you or your friend can ask a priest to perform the “anointment of the sick,” which calls upon the Holy Spirit to heal the person being anointed.

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If you’re Christian, end the prayers with “Amen.”

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