The bishop who delivered the sermon at Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding has shared the Bible verse that has been a source of comfort for him during his recent health challenges.

The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US has been recovering from internal bleeding and an irregular heartbeat over the past year. After experiencing several hospitalisations and undergoing treatment for atrial fibrillation, he had surgery to remove his right adrenal gland and an associated mass.

In his Easter message, Bishop Michael Curry revealed that he has been reciting a few lines from Psalm 31, particularly, "Into your hands, I commend my spirit," underscoring the strength of prayer.

“Prayer matters. We don't always know how. We don't always know or understand the outcome. But prayer matters, and it makes a difference. Over the last several months, I have not known how this would all work out. But I've been very aware, and in some particular moments, consciously aware of being upheld in prayer by you. Without consciously deciding to do it, I actually found myself praying some words from Psalm 31, which says, “Into your hands, I commend my spirit.”

He continued: “Before surgeries and treatments, through some long nights, difficult days, ‘Into your hands, I commend my spirit.’ These words are part of a prayer that is Psalm 31 in the Hebrew scriptures. The late night service of Compline uses that Psalm as a prayer before going to sleep at night.”

The 71-year-old, who has been working remotely from home and only recently resumed short flights, expressed gratitude to believers for their supportive messages and to the medical team for their care.