Tag Archive for "health" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘health’

R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul (General)

Posted on: September 30th, 2015 by Alden

This brief healing prayer is for all those whose hearts ache, those with troubled souls. It is a general version of “R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul,” which is said for a specific person.

R’fuat HaNefesh (General)
G-d of the spirit,
G-d of the soul, the breath and the wind,
Look with kindness and favor on those
Whose hearts ache, crushed and fallow,
Whose hearts yearn, empty and broken.
G-d of the nefesh, ruach and neshama,
Guide their souls
Back to wonder and mystery,
Sacred moments and glorious days,
So that they know the power of Your love
And the wisdom of Your word.
May their souls shine,
With light and blessing
For our people Israel.

Postscript: Other prayers for healing include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recover from Surgery,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father” and “For Healing the Spirit.” All of them appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: GenaLivings.com

Re’eh: Cutting, A Prayer to End Self-Mutilation

Posted on: August 13th, 2015 by Alden

Self-mutilation is as old as the Bible. That grief came to mind reading this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh. “Ye are the children of Adonai your G-d; you shall not cut yourselves…” (Deut. 14:1) In ancient days, the practice was to gash oneself as a sign of mourning. Today, some people cut to manifest grief on their bodies, others say it creates a sense of calm in the face of depression, typically hiding the injuries in shame. This is a prayer on behalf of those who self-mutilate, including an option in [brackets] to name a specific person. It’s built on a prayer titled “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds,” a prayer for parents of children who self-harm with drugs, alcohol, sex or violence against themselves.

Cutting: A Prayer to End Self-Mutilation
Child of G-d,
Please do not cut yourself.
You are holy, a gift,
Unique in this world.

What grief has taken root in your heart?
What sorrow has consumed your joy?
How deep is your pain that you take a blade
To your own flesh?

G-d of Old,
We call out to You
From the depths of confusion and fear.
What balm will ease this distress?
What consolation will end this torment?
What blessing will guide them back to wholeness,
Back to self-respect,
Back to love?

G-d of renewal,
Bless those who harm themselves with a blade.
Grant them comfort and well-being,
Healing of mind,
Healing of body
And healing of spirit.
Teach them to see the world through Your eyes,
As a place of joy and adventure.
[And look with care on __________________________ (name),
Who also suffers at her/his own hand.]
Grant them all the ability to be gentle and forgiving on themselves.
Lead them to new ways of expression on the path to happiness and peace.

For those of you who cannot find relief,
We pray that that time will soon come.
You are a gift of G-d in the eyes of heaven,
In our eyes, too,
And in our hearts,
Which bleed with your skin,
And our love will not end.

Child of G-d,
Please do not cut yourself.
You are holy, a gift,
Unique in this world.

Postscript: The majority of the illustrations I found online for this prayer are remarkably disturbing. See also: “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds” and other prayers for mental health, including “My Depression” and “Mental Illness.” They appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Self Harm Daily

Bird Song at Midnight

Posted on: July 26th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for comfort on restless nights. It’s my fourth using birds as the central metaphor. See also: “Bird is Bird,” “First Bird” and “Soarbird.” Click on the video to hear students from HUC-JIR in New York recite it. The text follows. This meditation appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Bird Song at Midnight
Sometimes a bird will sing at midnight.
Perhaps restless, perhaps confused,
Perhaps so full of joy and love
That music bursts forth.

Fill me with song on sleepless nights.
Fill me with music in the lonely deep.
Let the promise of a new day
Bring comfort and consolation.

Postscript: Thanks to CCAR Press and HUC-JIR for creating this lovely video. See also: “Bird is Bird,” “First Bird” and “Soarbird.”

Video Source: CCAR Press

Prayer before Sleep

Posted on: June 24th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer to be said before going to sleep. This piece appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press. Here’s a related prayer for those who suffer from insomnia.

Prayer before Sleep
G-d,
Watch over my sleep.
Grant me a night of rest and renewal,
And spread Your loving shelter
Over my family and friends,
My [wife/husband/partner/child(ren)/mother/father]
And all who are dear to me.
Keep us safe through the night
And stay present when the morning comes.
This night I’m keenly aware of those in special need of Your care.

Ancient One,
Ease my mind,
Soothe my heart,
Rejuvenate my body,
Restore my strength,
Revive my faith,
So that when I open my eyes
To the new day
I see beauty in Your creation
And marvel in all Your works.
Then, I will rise up
In service to Torah and mitzvot,
In service to Your will,
A testimony to Your Holy Name.

Postscript: Other “quick prayers” include: “Quick Meditation for Today,” “Quick Meditation at Noon,” “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk,” “Quick Meditation at Night” and “Quick Prayer for Healing.”

Photo Source: Wilkimedia Commons, Flaming June, by Frederic Lord Leighton (1830-1896)

Beha’alotcha 5775: Three Quick Prayers for Healing (Revised)

Posted on: June 3rd, 2015 by Alden

At the end of this week’s Torah portion, Moses says a quick five-word prayer for healing his sister Miriam: “Please G-d, heal her now.” (Numbers 12:13) Here are three revisions of my “Quick Prayers for Healing:” a general version, asking for healing for all in need; one that names a specific individual in need of healing; and a third for individuals to say for their own healing. The revisions each include a new line reflecting Moses’ prayer for Miriam. Note that optional lines appear in [brackets], gender choices are identified with a “/” slash and the place to insert a name is shown with a blank line. The original versions of these prayers appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Quick Prayer for Healing – General (Revised)
G-d of love,
Cast the light of health and well-being
On the injured, the infirm and the insecure,
All who yearn for Your healing hand.
Bless them with healing of body
Healing of soul
And healing of spirit.
Please G-d, heal them now.
Grant all in need a full and complete recovery.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Source of Life.

Quick Prayer for Healing – Specific (Revised)
G-d of love,
Cast the light of health and well-being on
________________ (add name),
[His/her family]
And all who are injured, infirm or insecure,
Those who yearn for Your healing hand.
Bless them with healing of body
Healing of soul
And healing of spirit.
Please G-d, heal them now.
Grant all in need a full and complete recovery.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Source of Life.

Quick Prayer for My Healing (Revised)
G-d of love,
Cast the light of health and well-being on me [and on my family]
And all who are injured, infirm or insecure.
We yearn for Your healing hand.
Bless us with healing of body
Healing of soul
And healing of spirit.
Please G-d, heal us now.
Grant all in need a full and complete recovery.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Source of Life.

Postscript: Other prayers in my “Quick Prayers” series include: “Quick Meditation for Today,” “Quick Meditation at Noon,” “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk” and “Quick Meditation at Night.” “Quick Prayer for Healing” was first posted on October 3, 2012. The other two prayers were originally posted together as “Quick Prayers for Healing” on January 29, 2013.

Photo Credit: Jewish Medicine

Before Calling Social Services

Posted on: January 4th, 2015 by Alden

This is a prayer for humility before taking a difficult step: calling a social service agency to report a neighbor, family member or some other individual perpetrating violence on others. Along with asking for wholeness and healing to be the result, this prayer also asks for an end to all family violence. Optional language and choices for customizing the prayer appear in [brackets]. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness.

Before Calling Social Services
With humility,
I prepare to take a step that may
Profoundly influence the lives of others.
The [violence / physical abuse / sexual abuse / emotional abuse]
Against _____________ (insert name of victim)
Must end.
The time has come to call [the authorities / social services / the police].
[There appears to be no other way.]
I do this with [sadness / fear / reluctance / shame / hope].
I do this in the name of safety and healing.
I do this so that justice and love may be restored.

Ancient One,
So many have suffered trauma inflicted by [loved ones/people they know].
Bring us to a time when violence and abuse are removed from our midst,
When friends and family treat each other –
Their parents, husbands, wives, partners, children, sisters and brothers –
With constant tenderness and steadfast care.
May this act be for blessing and not for curse,
For joy and not for sorrow,
For wholeness, consolation and peace.

G-d of Old,
Let your blessings rain down upon
All who suffer at the hand of family aggression,
All who suffer at the hand of daily terror.

Blessed are You, Source of peace.

Postscript: My prayers for mental health include: “My Depression” and “Mental Illness.” They both appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. A related prayer, called “My Child’s Self-Inflicted Wounds,” will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers from the Heart of Darkness.

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Source: National Union of Public and General Employees

Simple Prayer for Healing

Posted on: June 24th, 2014 by Alden

This prayer is basic, direct, to the point. Please G-d, heal and comfort those in need. It’s a prayer for moments when less is more. This will appear in my forthcoming book, Prayers for Healing the World.

Simple Prayer for Healing
G-d, grant Your healing power
To all in need,
Those whom I know,
______________ [list names],
And those unknown to me.

G-d, grant Your comfort and consolation
To all who grieve,
Those whom I know,
______________ [list names],
And those unknown to me.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Ruler of the universe,
Who lifts up the fallen.

Postscript: Please check out my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: NASA

My Depression

Posted on: April 10th, 2014 by Alden

This is a prayer to be said by someone facing the hopelessness and debilitation of depression. According to statistics, 80 percent of people facing depression are untreated. This prayer can be customized to the particular issues facing an individual. Word choices are shown in [brackets], but are only illustrative. Please include whatever description is needed to help you with your particular situation. This prayer and three others on addiction and mental illness appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

My Depression
I have fallen into blackness,
A hole,
A cave without light.
How deep is this pain?
This loneliness?
This suffering and isolation?

G-d of Old,
I call out to You
From the depths of confusion and fear.
What balm will ease my suffering?
What consolation will guide me?
I am afraid and ashamed.
I am sad and lost.

G-d of healing,
Be the light that guides me
Back to myself,
Back to my joy,
Back to my holiness and wonder.
Help me to stop committing acts of violence against myself
With [self-abuse][anger][shame][food][a blade][alcohol][drugs][sex].
I know Your healing power,
Your salvation and grace.
Lead me on a journey
Back to wholeness and to self-respect.
Help me to live a life of happiness and love.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer to be said on behalf of some facing “Mental Illness.” This also appears in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

On Waiting for an Organ Transplant, Revised

Posted on: January 31st, 2014 by Alden

This is a prayer for those who await an organ transplant. It is revised slightly from the original. The change: adding an explicit reference to live kidney donation. The prayer is written to be said for oneself or for another, with options shown in [brackets]. There’s also the option to add a name. Here’s the original version, which appears in my new book Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. As many of you know, my wife Ami z”l was an organ donor. The introduction to the original prayer talks about about a letter from the recipient of Ami’s heart. My prayer “For Organ Donation” thanks G-d for the medical skill and asks for blessings on all who make transplantation possible. “In Memory of An Organ Donor” is a yizkor prayer for organ donors.

On Waiting for an Organ Transplant, Revised
Ancient One,
Breath of Life,
In Your wisdom You have given medical science
The skill and ability to transplant organs,
Renewing life for the critically ill.
G-d of compassion and mercy,
Bless [me] [my father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / husband / partner / dear one / friend]
[______________________ (name),]
With this gift of life.
Release [me / him / her] from fear and pain,
From moments of uncertainty and times of despair,
From powerful medications, debilitating treatments and temporary interventions.

Open the hearts of men and women
To share their health
By giving blood,
Registering as marrow and kidney donors
And dedicating themselves to organ donation.
Open, too, the hearts of families
Facing the death of a loved one,
So that, in the shadow of grief,
They find the strength to give the gift of life.
May they find meaning and comfort
In their time of suffering and loss.

G-d of healing,
[I ] [my father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / husband / partner / dear one / friend]
Wait(s) in the shadow of disease,
In the shadow of pain and suffering,
In the shadow of mortality.
May this wait end soon,
With a healthy organ, a successful transplant,
And a speedy recovery.

Postscript: All three of my organ donation prayers appear in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. My other prayers for healing include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery,” “For Healing the Spirit,” “For a Critically-Ill Mother,” “For a Critically-Ill Father,” “For a Critically Ill Child” and “R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul.”

Photo Source: Doctors Health Press

Cancer Fear

Posted on: December 2nd, 2013 by Alden

I wrote this prayer after my doctor strongly suggested a third prostate biopsy. Fortunately, I was also able to write “After News of a Clean Biopsy” from my own experience. My new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing, will include 14 prayers to be used at various points along the cancer journey, including: For Cancer Treatment,” “Cancer Remission” and “On the Recurrence of Cancer.” In the coming weeks I will post another version of this prayer to be said on behalf of a family member or a friend.

Cancer Fear
G-d of Old,
I am overwhelmed with fear,
Devoured by terror,
At the news that [I may have cancer]
[My cancer may have returned].
This dread in my chest,
In my throat, in my heart and in my eyes,
Fills the core of my being
With a hungry panic,
Consuming my security,
Consuming my peace of mind.

G-d of health and healing,
Release me from worry and alarm
As I seek answers to challenging questions,
[Unbelievable questions,]
Unwanted questions.

Gracious One,
Grant me strength in these hours of uncertainty.
Grant me serenity as I wait for news.
Release my family and friends from worry
And make me an example of dignity and courage
Even as I live in the shadow of the unknown.

Compassionate One,
Let health and healing surround me.
Let health and healing surround all of Your children.

Postscript: Related prayers include: “Waiting for a Pre-Diagnosis Biopsy and Results,” “After News of a Clean Biopsy,” “For Cancer Treatment,” “Cancer Remission,” “On the Recurrence of Cancer” and two Hospice Prayers.

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Photo Source: She Knows Cares

Posts Tagged ‘health’

R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul (General)

Re’eh: Cutting, A Prayer to End Self-Mutilation

Bird Song at Midnight

Prayer before Sleep

Beha’alotcha 5775: Three Quick Prayers for Healing (Revised)

Before Calling Social Services

Simple Prayer for Healing

My Depression

On Waiting for an Organ Transplant, Revised

Cancer Fear

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