A Prayer for Those Caring for a Loved One with Cancer

A prayer for anyone walking beside a loved one through cancer.

Tzur Yisrael (Rock of Israel),

You who steady us when the ground beneath us shifts,

Be my rock, too,

As I walk beside my husband facing cancer.

I carry questions without answers,

Fears I dare not speak aloud.

I know how to be strong.

Or at least I thought I did.

Yet sometimes I am frightened, frustrated,

And falling apart a little inside.

Grant me fortitude for the endless appointments,

Confidence amid the calls, tests, and results.

When I fear overlooking something important,

Help me trust that I can do my best

Without controlling what comes next.

You know the burdens I rarely admit:

The irritation at this cruel interruption of our lives,

The fear of losing someone

I cannot imagine living without,

And the loneliness when people ask how we are doing,

But I cannot bring myself to confide.

Hold me up when watching him suffer

Threatens to bring me to my knees.

Makor HaChayim (Source of Life),

Remind me that exhaustion is not a failure of love,

That needing a break is not abandonment,

Nor laughter a betrayal.

Sometimes I need someone to care for me

After a long day caring for everyone else.

Give me courage to ask for help,

And grace to accept it.

Rofei HaCholim (Healer of the Sick),

Bring healing where possible,

Relief when pain persists.

Help me cherish our ordinary moments together,

And keep showing up, lovingly,

With whatever strength this day allows.

And when my strength is gone,

May I know that with You,

I, too, am held.

Baruch Atah Adonai,

Shomei’a t’filah (Who hears prayer).

Amen.