Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
If I sleep on my pillow wrong I have a crick in my neck for days. Even this little pain can drive me crazy. Some people, however, have such severe neck pain due to pinched nerves or disk location that they need surgery. If you or someone you love is having neck surgery it is vital to pray for them!
Any type of surgery can be stressful, but walking into the unknown can be an invitation to trust God. Remember these words from Scripture, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV).
Trusting in God won’t make all your worries go away, but it will make it easier to manage the stress of undergoing neck surgery. I have given you 8 prayers for neck surgery, but feel free to customize them to your specific situation. Please leave prayer requests in the comments so we can pray with you!
Short Prayer for Neck Surgery
Lord, (I/name) is having neck issues. It has gotten so severe that (he/she/I) needs to have surgery. Any type of surgery is scary, but neck surgery is a little concerning due to the spinal cord. Wrap (he/she/me) in your loving embrace. May the Holy Spirit be present during the surgery and protect (name/me). In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer Before Surgery
Lord, I am about to undergo neck surgery. This is a somewhat scary experience for me. There are things that could go wrong, but I’m trying to focus on the positive. I’m trying not to spiral out of control. Help me to remember that You are in control.
Please bless the hands of the doctors as they work on me. Bless the anesthesiologist who will put me under. Help him to stay focused and give me the correct dosage of medicine.
Please help this to be just a routine surgery and to go off without a hitch. Help me to stay calm and trust in you. Ultimately, Lord, I just pray that you protect me during this surgery and that I can come out on the other side glorifying you for your goodness and faithfulness.
May I cling to these words from 2 Corinthians, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV). In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer During Surgery
Lord, (name) is undergoing neck surgery right now. The doctors have told us the surgery will take (amount of time). Help me not to panic if the surgery goes longer than that. I am so nervous that there will be complications.
This is a really big surgery and there are plenty of ways this could go awry. Help me to surrender my fears and worries to you. I lay them at the foot of the cross. I feel like I can’t handle the stress of this so I know I must cast my burdens on to you because I cannot handle this alone.
God, please give the doctors wisdom as they perform (name)’s surgery. I know they have done this before and will do the best they can to make this surgery a success. Please bless their hands so they can work quickly and accurately.
Please help this to be just a routine surgery and to go smoothly. Help (name) to be calm and courageous. May name cling to the words from the Scriptures, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:24, NIV).
If something goes wrong during the surgery, please give the doctors wisdom to know how to handle it. Help them to stay calm and respond quickly and accurately to the problem at hand. Lord, I trust in you. Amen.
Prayer After Surgery
Dear God, thank you so much for getting (name) through (his/her) surgery. I am so grateful for your protection during the procedure. You have blessed us abundantly. Please help the recovery from surgery to go smoothly. Please make the pain as minimal as possible!
(Name) will surely start getting antsy quickly. (Name) doesn’t like to be idle, so please just help (her/him) to remember to use this time of rest to rest in You. Help (name) to embrace this time of recovery as an opportunity to grow in humility and gratitude.
Recovering from surgery is a big cross to bear. Help (name) to be like Jesus and to carry this cross with poise and grace. The Scriptures tell us that when Jesus was weak he had help carrying his cross. “As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross” (Matthew 27:32, NIV). Help name to remember that even Jesus needed help. Help (him/her) to relinquish (his/her) need for control and autonomy by accepting help from others during this difficult time.
I pray there are no post-op complications and that all follow up testing goes according to plan. I know this will be a long road of recovery, but please let it to be uneventful! I know you will be there every step of the way. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer for a Cervical Spinal Fusion
God, (name) is having cervical spinal fusion surgery. This surgery will join (his/her) bones back into one stable bone. (He/She) has had trouble with motion in their neck and it has been very painful so I hope this surgery relieves that pain.
Please help the bone graft to go according to plan. How strange that the doctors will take a different bone from (name’s) body to fix (his/her) neck. Medicine has come a long way. (Name) will need metal screws or plates as well so the bones stay together. Please help this process to go safely and according to plan.
The surgery could cause a decrease in range of motion so there are complications that go along with it. I’m worried, but I know this is an invitation to trust in You. I know everything will happen according to your will.
Please bless the hands of the doctors as they work on (name). In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer for a Laminectomy
God, (name) is having laminectomy surgery. This surgery will help relieve the pressure on (name’s) spinal cord or nerves. I am hopeful this will help with the discomfort (he/she) is having because the surgery will give the spinal cord more space.
The danger is that this surgery can cause the spine to be less stable. This would mean (he/she) would have to have ANOTHER surgery, most likely a spinal fusion, to fix that problem. All of this sounds terrifying!
There are many serious possible complications so it’s a bit overwhelming. I know this is an invitation to trust in You. I know everything will happen according to your will.
Please bless the hands of the doctors as they work on (name). Please help this to be just a routine surgery and to go smoothly! In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer for an Artificial Disk Replacement Surgery
God, (name) has to have an artificial disk replacement surgery. This surgery will treat (name’s) pinched nerve in (his/her) neck. The disk that is causing the pain will be removed and (he/she) will get an artificial disk in the same place.
I am grateful (he/she) gets to have this surgery because (he/she) should be able to retain a good amount of flexibility and range of motion in (his/her) neck afterward!
Please protect (name) during the procedure. Please bless the hands of the doctors as they work on (name). Thank you, God, for your steadfast love and protection. In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Prayer for an Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion
Lord, (name) is having an anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion. This surgery will hopefully treat the pinched nerve in (his/her) neck! The disk and bone spurs will be removed so the pressure on the spinal cord can be relieved. After that, a spinal fusion will need to happen so that the area can be stable.
This is a lot! I pray this surgery is successful and has no complications. Wrap (name) in your loving embrace and protect them from harm. Bless the doctors who will be performing the surgery as well! In Your Name, I pray. Amen.
Concluding Thoughts
Although neck surgery is a daunting procedure we can find comfort in the heart of Jesus. He is the ultimate healer, protector, and counselor.
If you are worried about yourself or a loved one having neck surgery you should turn your eyes to the cross. Lay down your burdens at His feet and trust that He died so that we may have new life.
Neck surgery is complicated so our prayers may not always be answered the way we hope they will. Always know that, as difficult as it is to accept, His plan is greater than ours.