Prayer For Dementia
Dear Father, I can feel so very alone as I care for my loved one. Yet I know that your presence is with me, for you walk with me through the day and night. I feel great loss and grief, watching Alzheimer's strip my beloved of their memories, their giftings, their abilities, health and dignity. Lord help me to come to you with this suffering, to remember that you took all this pain upon yourself at the cross. Please give me the vision to see my loved one being redeemed. Help me to trust that you are watching over them. Thank you that you are taking each aspect of their unique character and being and are keeping these things safe in Heaven. Dear Lord, help me to find new life alongside this suffering. May I engage with beauty of creation, be filled by the laughter of children and be comforted by the support of friends. May I look forward to knowing that eternity waits for us all. May I feel the breeze of Heaven upon my face and hold tight to the seeds of faith sown into our lives. They will not wither or fade, for they are eternal. Thank you Father. Amen.
Healing Presence,
while there is no cure,
grant us hope
and healing
hope and healing for acceptance
of what cannot be changed,
hope and healing for strength
for what lies ahead,
hope and healing
for wholeness, shalom.
Healing Presence,
grant strength, wisdom, and perseverance
to the scientists who work tirelessly
to untangle the web of this disease,
to catch this thief that comes in the night
and takes the mind and spirit.
Gracious God, be with all those
struggling today with symptoms
of dementia in its many forms;
mood changes, memory lapses,
confusion and helplessness.
May they know in their hearts
your comforting embrace
amid their daily frustrations,
and continue to realise,
as names and memories fade,
that they are still loved by family,
friends, and especially by you.
God of compassion and grace,
we pray for all those who,
through age and infirmity
find themselves imprisoned
within the loneliness of home,
watching a world outside
that once had their
full involvement
increasingly pass them by.
Be with and bless them, Lord,
along with family and carers
calling through the week to help.
May they know that they are loved,
still precious in your sight,
and feel your arms support them
in the day and through the night. Amen
Oh dear Lord, hear my prayer,
And show me that you really care,
Trouble is I can't remember,
All my prayers for you to tender,
Will this matter, on the day,
When we meet, what will you say?
If I didn't have dementia
I would recall my holy Venture,
If I don't pray, from time to time,
Remember that my minds not mine,
Please forgive me, as you know,
No matter what, I love you so
Pour your grace, O loving God,
upon all suffering with dementia.
It is frustrating
not to find a word;
it is fearful
to lose one's memories.
Bless them with patience,
a loving and supporting family,
and days of hope and accomplishment.
In Christ's name we pray.
Amen
we pray for those who suffer from the anxiety, ambiguity and confusion of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. Look with mercy upon their distress, confusion or isolation. Shelter them where dignity and peace abound. Grant them understanding helpers and the willingness to accept help. In the face of loss of memory and control, increase their confidence in your love and strengthen their care-givers. As the Good Shepherd, tend to the sick, rest the weary, pity the afflicted, soothe the suffering and bless the dying. We make this supplication through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes, in the name of your Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.