Prayer For Funeral Day
Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility, and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality.
And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, then the word that is written shall come about: Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Father,
Give them peace in their minds and comfort in their hearts.
Let your Holy Angels minister to their spirit. Lord, you are the lifter up of their heads at a time like this, Lord you said when our hearts are overwhelmed lead them to the rock that is higher than they are, the Rock Christ Jesus. Father, when they go in the inside of themselves let them see your face. Let them find strength in your faithfulness, Jesus.
Lord, show them your compassion, Jesus send fresh mercy and fresh grace to help them pass this sad hour. You are the everlasting comforter, you are the sweet Saviour of our soul, and by your grace "this too shall pass". You said cast all our cares upon you for you care for them. You will never leave them nor forsake them. Bring the family through as only you can, Lord.
You have our tears in a bottle and our name is written in your hand, so we know that you love and will comfort us. Let us examine ourselves because you said in your word "that it's appointed up man to die, then the judgement. Lord so let your family know that all is well and they shall see their loved one again, In Jesus name,
Amen
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
when there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Dear Jesus, How remarkable it is to have a savior who weeps with me.
Back when I was in elementary school, I loved John 11:35 for its brevity. Jesus wept. My friends and I would giggle, pleased that we had discovered the second-shortest verse in the Bible. (The shortest verse, as we gleefully reminded each other, was Job 3:2, He said.) I didn't pay much attention to the context of John 11: the story of how You were en route to the tomb of Your friend Lazarus, in the company of Lazarus' sisters Mary and Martha, mere days after Lazarus' death. I didn't dwell long on the significance of Your tears.
How different that verse looks to me today. Today, as I see the casket topped with flowers that blur at the edges because my eyes go damp every time I look in their direction. Today, as pastors and friends and family members speak about my loved one using the past tense instead of the present. Today, as the words of the hymns catch in my throat and render me mute. Today, as the hope I still hold to be true collides with the waves of sorrow suffocating me.
Today, Jesus wept means everything to me. Today, I remember that You wept because someone dear to You and dear to people You loved had died. Even though You already knew the end of the storyeven though You knew that death wouldn't have the final wordstill You wept. You didn't stand aloof, offering textbook reassurances and condescending pats on the head. You heard the stories, clutched the shaking hands, walked to the tomb, and shed tears of your own. You grieved the loss, and You grieved with those who felt that same stinging loss.
Today, Jesus, I am thankful to worship a God who became human enough to weep with me.
I believe that the world wasn't made for death and loss. I can feel by the cavern in my chest that something is wrong, that this aching sorrow isn't the way things were supposed to be. And yet I also believe that You, Jesus, are in the business of restoring what has gone wrong. I believe that death won't get the last word because You've already crushed it and declared the power of resurrection over everyone who will receive it.
I believe that this story, like the story of Lazarus, ends in victory. I don't grieve like someone without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), because I anticipate new life on the other side of the clouds. And I want to celebrate for brothers and sisters who get there ahead of me, the saints who have sprinted past me into Your throne room. I want to take delight in their delight. Their pain is gone, their needs met, their sorrows overturned, and that thought alone makes me weep for joy.
But knowing the end of the story, knowing the good that's coming and has already come, doesn't erase the heartbreak for the meantime. Today, I cry tears that mean a hundred things at once, happy and sorrowful and desperate and hopeful. I trust You to sort them out as You catch them, to hear and answer each prayer they represent.
I cry for those of us left behind, for the lonely ones with hollows in our hearts. I ask You to comfort us, give peace, restore hope, and lavish us with love, family, and belonging. In the depths of loss, meet us with Yourself.
I cry for the legacy this loved one leaves, for the ways the world has been made different by their presence, for the memories that become both more beautiful and more painful on this side of death. And I pray that the work You have accomplished in this remarkable life will grow deeper, wider, and stronger in the days to come, uninhibited by a weak opponent like death.
I cry for those who haven't yet accepted Your invitation into eternal life, for those who grieve without hope today. I pray for awakening in their hearts, for a stirring that draws to You. I pray for more attendees at the grand reunion scheduled in the coming eternity.
I cry for all the ways the world has gone wrong, and for all the ways You're making it right again. I ask that You make me part of Your work in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.
I cry knowing You are here with me. And because You are here, even my tears have meaning. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Funerals are a time to comfort and be comforted.
Those in attendance are mourning,
and some are dealing with extreme grief.
The ones most affected by the death are feeling
overwhelmed, lonely, and afraid.
Many fear living life without their loved one.
Compassionate and Gracious Jesus, I lift the family and friends of the deceased to you. Touch them with your mighty hand and help them to find healing in you. Wrap your arm of love around them that they may not be filled with grief. May they seek you daily for comfort and support. May the fond memories they shared with the deceased remind them of the love that you have for them. Protect the family the deceased has left behind and remind them to live in unity. Fill their hearts with the assurance that your servant is in your presence. In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen.
God of All Comfort, our hearts are broken. We are finding it hard to come to terms with the death of our loved one, but your grace is sufficient for us. Wipe away every tear and comfort our hearts, dear God. Give us relief from our distress and fill our hearts with great joy. Overshadow us with your presence that we may be joyful as we celebrate a life well-lived. Cover us under your canopy of love and peace. Help us to remember the good times we shared with our loved one. In Jesus' name, we believe and pray, Amen.
Lord God of Hope, I come to You today in deepest grief and with such sadness of heart at the sudden death of such a beloved friend, who was snatched away from us, in such a tragic way.
Lord, I know that our times are in Your hands, but the shock and sadness that the life of this precious person, whom we all love so dearly, was cut short in a so distressing way, is filling all our hearts with deep pain and sorrow.
Be our comfort in this time of loss, and uphold all that are in pain today, knowing that You are our God of comfort and the Great Comforter Who comforts all that are hurting. Be especially close to the family and those that were nearest and dearest. Give them Your peace and assurance that You are with them throughout all their pain, and pour the light of Your love into their hurting hearts. In Jesus' name,
Amen.