Prayer For Family Loss
In your hands, O Lord,
we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.
In this life you embraced them with your tender love;
deliver them now from every evil
and bid them eternal rest.
The old order has passed away:
welcome them into paradise,
where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain,
but fullness of peace and joy
with your Son and the Holy Spirit
forever and ever.
Amen.
Lord, the Bible says You are close to the brokenhearted and [You rescue] those whose spirits are crushed (Psalm 34:18, NLT). Draw close to me and rescue me. Help me not to grieve like those who haven't discovered Your kindness and mercy, who have no hope (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13); lift me up and give me hope once more. Help me to believe that tomorrow will be better, and the next day will be easier, and that a day will come when I will feel a surge of energy and expectation for what You are doing and where You will take me. Amen.
Jesus, we want to have a less hectic life. We're tired. So tired. Life feels like an out of control carnival ride, dipping, careening, swaying. We want to get off and rest! Help us this week to find ways to do just that. Bring respite and quiet where there's chaos and hollering. May You become our haven, our settled place. Forgive us for giving into worry instead of choosing to give You every single stress. We need time, Jesus. Time to reflect, rest, and rejuvenate. And we trust You to provide it. Amen.
Jesus, we seem to face far too much loss these days. In times like those, we choose to rest our heads on your sacred shoulders. Weep alongside. Lift our heads. Rejuvenate our vision. Bring us back to a place of play. Of wonder. This world is dark, but we recognize right now, in this moment, that You are glorious light. Please, please shine down on us so we can see You at work. Replace our mourning with dancing. Hold our hands, our hearts, our dreams. Amen.
Lord, we pray for those who mourn, for parents and children, friends and neighbors. Be gentle with them in their grief. Show them the depths of your love, a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven. Spare them the torment of guilt and despair. Be with them as they weep beside the empty tomb of our risen savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I know that You are close to those that are broken-hearted and grieving in their soul. I know You rescue those that are crushed in spirit. I ask that you draw near to Your many children who are facing times of sadness and loss and draw each one ever closer into Your precious arms of love and support.
Father, you know our hearts and share our sorrows. We are hurt by our parting from those whom we loved: when we are angry at the loss we have sustained, when we long for words of comfort, yet find them hard to hear, turn our grief to truer living, our affliction to firmer hope in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus, please be with my friend reading this prayer. You know every wound, every joy, every fear, every dream. Heal old wounds. Heal new wounds. Rejoice alongside. Alleviate every haunting fear. Fulfill God-sized dreams in Your timing (and help us be patient in the waiting). Help us all to see the power of Your resurrection this month. Give us eyes to see where new life springs in our hearts. Rejuvenate when we're weak. We need You Jesus. Amen.