Serenity Prayer:
O God, give us the courage to accept with serenity the things we cannot change. Give us the courage to change the things that should be changed. And give us the wisdom to distinguish one from the other. – Reinhold Niebuhr
For Strength to Cope:
O God, You know my feelings. You know that I want to feel better. I want to be better. I want to have my health restored. But the hours of testing, the days of diagnosis, and question marks concerning my future seem nearly more than I can take! Grant me, O God, the strength to face each hour of this and every day. In fact, when it seems that I cannot face even this hour, fill me with sufficient strength to face the next five minutes. Amen.
Before Surgery:
O God, You are with me in my moments of strength and of weakness. You know the trembling of my heart as the turning point draws near. Grant wisdom and skill to the mind and hands of those who will operate on me, and those who assist them. Grant that I may return to fullness of life and wholeness of strength, not for my sake alone but for those about me. Enable me to complete my days on earth with dignity and purpose. May I awaken to know the breadth of Your healing power, now and evermore.
For Healing:
Dear Lord, You are the great physician. I turn to you in my sickness, asking you for help. I put myself under Your loving care, praying that I may know Your healing grace and wholeness. Help me to find love in this strange world and to feel Your presence by my bed both day and night. Give my doctors and nurses wisdom, that they may understand my illness. Steady and guide them with your strong hand. Reach out Your hand to me and touch my life with Your peace. Amen.
For Inspiration:
Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name and you are mine.
Should you pass through the sea,
I will be there with you;
Or through the rivers, they will not swallow you up.
Should you walk through fire, you will not be
Scorched and the flames will not burn you…
Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
-Isaiah 43
May all sentient beings have happiness and the cause of happiness;
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering;
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering;
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachments and anger, which hold some close and others distant.
-Buddha
...In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. And we know that in all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him. I am convinced that neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
-Romans 8, New Testament Bible
All major religious traditions carry basically the same message; that is love, compassion and forgiveness. The important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.
-Dalai Lama
Those who believe (in the Qur’an), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians and the Christians—any who believe in Allah and the Last Day, and work righteously—on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
-Qur’an, 5.69
Hear me, four quarters of the world—a relative I am! Give me strength to walk the soft earth. Give me eyes to see and the strength to understand, that I may be like you. With your power only can I face the winds…and walk the road to the day of quiet. This is my prayer, hear me!
-Black Elk, Lakota Sioux
Being hospitalized brings into awareness the mysteries of life and death. I am aware that the power of healing is as much an art as it is a science. As I struggle to overcome my illness, I am mindful of the finitude of the most precious parts of our creation. The rose lasts a few days. The mighty oak lasts a few hundred years. No one can say with absolute certainty what the span of my life shall be. May my healers find the power to restore my health, my well-being. And may I continue to be thankful for each grace-filled moment when I feel connected to the wondrous creation.
-Author Unknown