Mentioning Titles in Prayer for the Sick
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Question
When praying for someone, should you mention their titles (e.g., Rabbi so-and-so son of so-and-so)?
Answer
Shalom Rav
One should not mention honorific titles in prayer for a person, as it is not respectful to honor another in the presence of Hashem.
Source
It is written in the "Shiyarei Knesset HaGedolah" (Glosses on Tur, Orach Chayim 240, note 11) quoting "Sefer Chassidim" (Siman 400) that when praying for one's father who is ill, one should not say 'heal my father, my teacher' or 'heal my master, my father', but should mention his name without a title. Just as Solomon said in his prayer 'David my father', without adding an honorific title. Similarly, Elisha mentioned in his prayer 'where is the God of Elijah', without an honorific title.
In "Birkei Yosef" (Siman 9), this law is brought in the name of his grandfather, Rabbi Avraham Azulai. He explains the reason for this law: 'there is no haughtiness before the Omnipresent', meaning one should not say before the king, about another person, that he is his master. As stated in the Gemara (Kiddushin 43), Uriah was liable to death by the monarchy because he said before King David 'my master Joab'.