When it is said
The Orthodox Church reads the whole story (John 11:1-45) as the Gospel on Lazarus Saturday, the day before Palm Sunday.
Anyone may pray Martha’s words, at any time.
Where it comes from
Author known
Martha at Bethany
Lazarus lived in Bethany, the village of his sisters Martha and Mary, and Jesus loved all three of them. When Lazarus fell ill, the sisters sent word to Jesus. By the time He came, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha heard that Jesus was coming and went out to meet Him, while Mary stayed in the house (John 11:1-20).
John 11:1-20
Why did He wait?
Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick and stayed where He was two more days. He said the illness would not end in death but was for the glory of God. He was glad for His disciples’ sake that He had not been there, so that they would believe (John 11:4-15). Yet when Mary wept at His feet, Jesus wept too, and He called Lazarus out of the tomb (John 11:32-44).
John 11:4-15; John 11:32-44
What the words mean
What Jesus answered
The prayer joins, in order, three things Martha said to Jesus when she met Him, and leaves out His words in between. After she spoke of her brother rising on the last day, Jesus answered, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies.” Her last line answers His question, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:23-27).
John 11:23-27
The Scripture in it
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give You whatever You ask of Him.”
Martha replied, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who was to come into the world.”
When Mary came to Jesus and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Greek
Κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε, ὁ ἀδελφός μου οὐκ ἂν ἐτεθνήκει.
Ἀλλὰ καὶ νῦν οἶδα ὅτι ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσῃ τὸν Θεόν, δώσει Σοι ὁ Θεός.
Οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ.
Ναί, Κύριε, ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος.
From the Patriarchal Greek text of 1904, on Elpenor (ellopos.net).