Prayer For Those In Hospice
Righteous God, You are the restorer of all good things! Therefore, I know that only You can restore health to my patients and heal their wounds. Your Word declares that You are the divine healer. My soul sings praises to You because of who You are and how awesome You are. Even in the darkest moments You are there, in my patients' room You are there. Father I thank You in advance for their divine healing, Amen.
Heavenly Father, caring for people in such tragic predicaments can be so overwhelming. It can take its toll emotionally, mentally and even spiritually. But Your Word says that You know the plans You have in store for me. Plans that are not meant to harm but instead will prosper me. Have Your divine way in me so that I have the strength to care for those who need it, Amen.
Dear Lord, I pray for Your divine healing power to be with me as I care for the sick. It is You who can and will take away all sickness from Your people so I pray that this be done in Jesus' Name. I pray that just as the woman with the issue of blood believed and sought You, I pray that my patients too can be made whole, Amen.
God, thank you for being with us right now. We confess that we don't understand why things happen the way they do. We don't understand why illness comes into our lives, but we do know that you walk every path of life with us. Remind Joe that you are walking with him right now. Remind Joe that you love him, no matter what he is going through. I also pray for Joe's family. Give them your strength as they care for Joe. God, we thank you that you never leave us, that you never forsake us, but you love us. We trust you, and pray this in your name. Amen.
Dear Lord, we will face many terrifying events throughout this life, but may we never forget that the ultimate victory belongs to you. Through your sacrifice, death has been defeated. As we continue to walk in your truth, help us to set our eyes on Heavenly things.
Amen.
Dear Jesus,
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.
Dear God,
You are God, and I'm not. You sent Jesus to be my Savior, so I must need to be saved. I need you to forgive the things I've done wrong in life. I need you to give me a fresh start in life. I need you to help me know my purpose. I want to begin a relationship with you. I ask you to come into my life. I want to learn to trust you. I want to learn to love you. I want to learn to love other people the way you want me to. So I ask you today with humility and honesty and sincerity to please save me as I put my trust in you.
I pray this prayer in Jesus' Name. Amen
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.