Prayer for healing from cancer

Prayers for healing from cancer involve turning to the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, and the saints, seeking help in the treatment of cancer patients. We pray not only for healing from cancer and for God's power to manifest through doctors, guiding them to the right medical institutions and accurate diagnoses, but also for strength to accept His will, whatever it may be. Prayer connects us with God, covers us with His grace, and gives us strength to respond correctly to everything that happens in our lives.

The strongest prayer before God is prayer by agreement! It happens when believers, gathered in His name, pray with one heart and mind for the resolution of their difficult situation. Cancer—an illness that is incurable by earthly means—is precisely the kind of trial where only God Himself can help, so we place all our hope in Him! With all our hearts and souls, we turn to Him in prayer, begging for healing…

In Bulgaria, where the experience of collective prayer is actively practiced, people pray for healing from cancer every Wednesday at 3:00, 9:00, 15:00, and 21:00 Moscow time before the icon of the Mother of God, "The Pantanassa". You can choose any convenient time and join in prayer with Orthodox believers worldwide, all of whom are also seeking God’s help in overcoming cancer.

Prayer is read during cancer, oncology, and tumors

We pray fervently to the Mother of God "Pantanassa" especially on Wednesdays in 3:00, 9:00, 15:00 and 21:00 Moscow time.

O Most-Pure Mother of God, O Queen of All! Hearken unto our much-afflicted sighing before Thy miraculous Icon, brought to Russia from the land of Athos. Look upon Thy children, suffering from unhealed ailments, who fall down before Thy holy image with faith! As a bird covers its nestlings with its wings, so do Thou now, who art ever present, cover us with Thy greatly healing omophorion. Here bitter sorrows overcome us, there will Patience and Rest be revealed. Here the torment of despair dwells in the soul, there will shine the ineffable Light of Divinity! Console the fainthearted, strengthen the weak, bestow softening and enlightenment upon embittered hearts. Heal Thine ailing people, O All-merciful Queen! Bless the minds and hands of our physicians, that they might serve as instruments of the All-powerful Physician, Christ our Savior. We pray before Thine Icon, that Thou mightest truly live with us, O Sovereign Lady! Stretch out Thy hands, filled with healing and cures, O Joy of the sorrowful, Consolation in afflictions, that having speedily received miraculous help, wee may glorify the Life-creating and Undivided Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prrayer for health

To the Great Martyr Panteleimon aganst illness and for the healing of the sick (especially on Saturdays in 2:00, 8:00, 14:00 and 20:00 Moscow time).

Holy Great-Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, thou imitator of God’s mercy! Look down in thy loving kindness and hearken unto us, sinners, who offer heartfelt prayers before thy holy icon. Ask for us from the Lord God, before Whom the Angels stand in heaven, remission of our sins and transgressions. Heal the ills of body and soul of the servants of God whom we here commemorate, who are here present, and of all Orthodox Christians who seek thy help. For behold, we, who because of our sins are possessed by bitter ills and have no help or consolation, yet flee to thee for refuge, since thou hast been given Grace to pray for us and to heal every ill and every disease. Grant, therefore, to all of us, by thy holy prayers, health and strength of soul and body, a good growth in the Faith and in devotion, and all that is needful unto this temporal life and unto our salvation: So that, having been granted great and rich mercy thorugh thee, we may glorify thee and Him that bestoweth all good things, our God Who is wondrous in His Saints, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The undying Psalter

Round-the-Clock Prayerful Protection with the Words of the Ancient Prayer Book of the Old Testament – Psalm 90 from the Psalter.

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, ‘The Lord is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. ‘Because he loves me,’ says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.’

Can Cancer Be Cured?

Cancer is a widespread and unusual medical condition. Medical histories reveal both cases of rapid progression with unfavorable outcomes and unexpected recoveries at any stage of the disease! This means that one should never despair—regardless of the diagnosis, everything must be entrusted to God. Through prayer, we must hold on to Him and remain open to accepting His will and mercy, whether for ourselves or for those we pray for. In many cases, cancer can be treated. In others, a cure may depend solely on a miracle. However, in every situation, one essential truth remains: prayer is necessary!

Prayer to the Theotokos "Pantanassa" for Cancer Patients

The most frequent prayers for those suffering from cancer are offered before the icon of the Mother of God, "Pantanassa".

Numerous testimonies confirm the miraculous help of the Most Holy Theotokos for those who pray before this icon. In some cases, it has led to complete healing; in others, cancerous tumors have stopped growing for many years, allowing life to continue under God’s grace.

To fully participate in prayer by agreement for healing from cancer, offered through the reading of the Akathist to the Theotokos, "Pantanassa," which takes place in Bulgaria, one can submit names for commemoration at the Resurrection Skete.

Is Recovery from Cancer Possible?

Experience shows that cancer can indeed be cured. Various treatment approaches—particularly those related to diet and nutrition—help the body combat what seems to be an incurable disease. However, one should not rely solely on earthly methods: Life and death are in God’s hands, and it is His will that determines whether a life is prolonged or shortened. The one who builds their life on the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ will never be forsaken. But those who rely only on earthly, perishable things will not stand firm...Thus, let us place our wholehearted trust in our Savior, let us pray together to Him and His Most Pure Mother, reciting the Akathist before Her "Pantanassa" icon—and we will not be left without His help and care for us.