Have you ever been prevented from praying with a patient through fear of sounding trite or appearing not to understand their pain and suffering? Or have you ever been asked as the 'health professional' in your church to contribute to a service? If you have, then you might have found that your years of medical training had not quite prepared you for this demanding role!

Well, never again need you fear being lost for words with this well-edited book of over 140 prayers for health and healing. It is divided into ten well-chosen sections. The first half of the book has general prayers for health and healing; the second half deals with illness categories such as chronic pain or illness in old age. These are all easily browsed through to find the prayer that suits both you and the occasion best.

There is an index of 80 different subjects ranging from babies to bereavement and stress to sleeplessness. There are also specific prayers for doctors, nurses and hospitals.

Prayers are in both old and new style and are suitable for use during church services or formal occasions, at the bedside and in the home. Looking up your favourite author isn't a problem either because there's an index of these too. Overall I found this book helpful to read and easy to reference. It would make a good Christmas present for any doctor, nurse or church leader.

'Almighty God, who knowest our necessities before we ask, and our ignorance in asking: set free thy servants from all anxious thought for the morrow; give us contentment with thy good gifts; and confirm our faith that according as we seek thy kingdom, thou wilt not suffer us to lack any good thing; through Jesus Christ our Lord.' Augustine of Hippo

Reviewed by
Michael Davey
General Practitioner in Harrow and a former chairman of the CMF Junior Doctors' Committee