Post by Cindy on Feb 26, 2016 15:23:47 GMT -5
I'd like to share some prayers for those who are suffering the loss of a loved one. I thought they were so honest and good, that they might help others.
Lord Jesus, my grief is unspeakable; the pain never goes away day or night. I can’t sleep. It seems I watch the clock tick away the minutes all night long. I have no appetite, no interest in food. The tastiest meal is tasteless in my mouth. All the color has gone out of my world, leaving it bleak and barren. Worst of all are the tormenting questions. Why did this happen? Why didn’t You answer our prayers? Where are You when I need You?
Yet even in the darkest night I cling to You. I trust Your love and wisdom even when I cannot understand Your ways. In my heart of hearts, I know You are too wise to ever make a mistake and too loving to ever cause one of Your own needless pain. When I weep, I choose to believe that You are weeping with me. Knowing that You share my grief gives me comfort even if it doesn’t take away the pain. The promise of Your presence and the hope of eternal life give me the strength to go on. With Your help I truly believe that my mourning will one day be turned into dancing, and until that happens, I will trust You. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I’m so tired. Even when I sleep, I don’t rest. I toss and turn all night long, troubled by fitful dreams. I feel numb every waking moment. The things that once brought me such joy now leave me unmoved. Nothing seems to matter anymore and I can’t help asking, “What good is life if I have no one to share it with?” Truthfully, it feels as if my life has been reduced to a prison of pain in which my only emotion is grief. Yet, even in the midst of my grief, I know that You are near. I can’t always sense Your presence, but I know You haven’t forsaken me. With Your help I will get through this. One day life will have meaning again. I know it will. Help me not to waste this painful time. Let me learn from it so at some future time I can comfort others who will be experiencing their own grief. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I love You, but I’m really angry right now. I don’t want to feel this way, but I can’t seem to help myself. The doctors did everything they could, but in the end they were powerless. I did everything I was capable of doing and still my beloved died. Had I done any less I would have never been able to forgive myself. You are the only one who did nothing, or so it seems to me. You have the power of life and death and yet You did not intervene. You could have healed her but You didn’t. You could have prevented the accident but You didn’t. All of us, who have such limited power, did everything we could, but it feels like You, who have all power, did nothing at all. I’m trying to understand why You didn’t do anything, but right now I can’t.
Hurt and anger are making me bitter, killing the relationship we once shared. I want to punish You, yet even in my anger I know You are my only hope. With one hand I push You away while with the other hand I cling to You with all my might. With a trembling faith I lift my hurt to You, trusting that You will take it from me. Replace my anger with acceptance, I pray, and my hurt with hope. I ask not for understanding, for I know I will never understand why things happened the way they did, but for trust. Give me unconditional trust that I may rest in You no matter how grievous my loss. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I want to thank You for never leaving me alone in my grief. Without the strength of Your presence I don’t think I could have made it. Now that my terrible pain is easing a little, I realize that You were with me even when I was sure You were nowhere to be found. I want to thank You for allowing me to vent, to honestly express my feelings, even the ones I know I shouldn’t have had. Thank You for being patient with me, for giving me time to work through my feelings. Today is a “good” day and for that I give You thanks. A day like this makes me believe that there may even be life after my beloved’s death; no matter how much I miss her or how deeply I grieve. I give You praise this day and every day. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, replace my grief with gratefulness. Help me to remember the life we shared rather than just the death she died. Replace the painful memories of her suffering with the joyous memories of our life together. Help me to remember the first time I saw her and the way she smiled at me from across the room. Let me remember our wedding day, the births of our children, and the many times we prayed together, lifting our concerns to You with thanksgiving. Let me remember her zest for living, her devotion to our family and friends, and most of all her remarkable faith. These are gifts not even death can take from me. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, forgive me. I have been so consumed with my grief that I have been blind to all the ways You have come to me—in the presence of my pastor, a phone call from a dear friend, a dinner invitation when I couldn’t bear to eat alone again, and in the laughter of my grandchildren. At the time these things seemed no more than ordinary events, but I now realize that You were present in each and every one, bringing me comfort in that moment and hope for the future. Truly it is Your hand that comforts and encourages me. Help me to remember that You are never far from me no matter how alone I feel. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, thank You for absorbing my raging emotions, my angry accusations, and my explosive grief without rebuke. Had I not been able to express my honest feelings to You, they would have surely poisoned my spirit. Help me not to get stuck here. Help me to work through these turbulent emotions, to move from hurt and confusion to acceptance and finally to unconditional trust. Help me to rest in Your love and in the great promises of Scripture. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I know that my beloved did not live in vain. Her life was rich with meaning, and she enriched everyone whose life she touched. I’m tempted to think of her death as a waste, an unspeakable loss, but by an act of my will I choose not to. Instead I choose to remember that You have a long history of bringing good out of the most unspeakable loss. Although I cannot imagine how, I choose to believe that You will bring eternal good out of this terrible tragedy. With a trembling heart I offer you a sacrifice of praise, lifting both my beloved’s death and my painful grief to You in worship. Redeem her death and my grief. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life! You have conquered death, hell, and the grave. You have prepared an eternal abode for Your own and already my beloved is with You. Her suffering is over. You have wiped the last tear from her eye, and she is more alive than she has ever been. Although my loneliness is unspeakable, I would not bring her back for anything. As much as I love her, I know You love her more. As happy as she was with me, I know she is even happier being with You. I take strength from Your abiding presence and comfort from Your promise of eternal life. One day my beloved and I will be together with You forever. Life without end! May Your name be glorified now and forever. Amen.
Exley, R., & Exly, R. (2013). When you lose someone you love: Comfort for those who grieve.
Lord Jesus, my grief is unspeakable; the pain never goes away day or night. I can’t sleep. It seems I watch the clock tick away the minutes all night long. I have no appetite, no interest in food. The tastiest meal is tasteless in my mouth. All the color has gone out of my world, leaving it bleak and barren. Worst of all are the tormenting questions. Why did this happen? Why didn’t You answer our prayers? Where are You when I need You?
Yet even in the darkest night I cling to You. I trust Your love and wisdom even when I cannot understand Your ways. In my heart of hearts, I know You are too wise to ever make a mistake and too loving to ever cause one of Your own needless pain. When I weep, I choose to believe that You are weeping with me. Knowing that You share my grief gives me comfort even if it doesn’t take away the pain. The promise of Your presence and the hope of eternal life give me the strength to go on. With Your help I truly believe that my mourning will one day be turned into dancing, and until that happens, I will trust You. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I’m so tired. Even when I sleep, I don’t rest. I toss and turn all night long, troubled by fitful dreams. I feel numb every waking moment. The things that once brought me such joy now leave me unmoved. Nothing seems to matter anymore and I can’t help asking, “What good is life if I have no one to share it with?” Truthfully, it feels as if my life has been reduced to a prison of pain in which my only emotion is grief. Yet, even in the midst of my grief, I know that You are near. I can’t always sense Your presence, but I know You haven’t forsaken me. With Your help I will get through this. One day life will have meaning again. I know it will. Help me not to waste this painful time. Let me learn from it so at some future time I can comfort others who will be experiencing their own grief. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I love You, but I’m really angry right now. I don’t want to feel this way, but I can’t seem to help myself. The doctors did everything they could, but in the end they were powerless. I did everything I was capable of doing and still my beloved died. Had I done any less I would have never been able to forgive myself. You are the only one who did nothing, or so it seems to me. You have the power of life and death and yet You did not intervene. You could have healed her but You didn’t. You could have prevented the accident but You didn’t. All of us, who have such limited power, did everything we could, but it feels like You, who have all power, did nothing at all. I’m trying to understand why You didn’t do anything, but right now I can’t.
Hurt and anger are making me bitter, killing the relationship we once shared. I want to punish You, yet even in my anger I know You are my only hope. With one hand I push You away while with the other hand I cling to You with all my might. With a trembling faith I lift my hurt to You, trusting that You will take it from me. Replace my anger with acceptance, I pray, and my hurt with hope. I ask not for understanding, for I know I will never understand why things happened the way they did, but for trust. Give me unconditional trust that I may rest in You no matter how grievous my loss. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I want to thank You for never leaving me alone in my grief. Without the strength of Your presence I don’t think I could have made it. Now that my terrible pain is easing a little, I realize that You were with me even when I was sure You were nowhere to be found. I want to thank You for allowing me to vent, to honestly express my feelings, even the ones I know I shouldn’t have had. Thank You for being patient with me, for giving me time to work through my feelings. Today is a “good” day and for that I give You thanks. A day like this makes me believe that there may even be life after my beloved’s death; no matter how much I miss her or how deeply I grieve. I give You praise this day and every day. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, replace my grief with gratefulness. Help me to remember the life we shared rather than just the death she died. Replace the painful memories of her suffering with the joyous memories of our life together. Help me to remember the first time I saw her and the way she smiled at me from across the room. Let me remember our wedding day, the births of our children, and the many times we prayed together, lifting our concerns to You with thanksgiving. Let me remember her zest for living, her devotion to our family and friends, and most of all her remarkable faith. These are gifts not even death can take from me. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, forgive me. I have been so consumed with my grief that I have been blind to all the ways You have come to me—in the presence of my pastor, a phone call from a dear friend, a dinner invitation when I couldn’t bear to eat alone again, and in the laughter of my grandchildren. At the time these things seemed no more than ordinary events, but I now realize that You were present in each and every one, bringing me comfort in that moment and hope for the future. Truly it is Your hand that comforts and encourages me. Help me to remember that You are never far from me no matter how alone I feel. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, thank You for absorbing my raging emotions, my angry accusations, and my explosive grief without rebuke. Had I not been able to express my honest feelings to You, they would have surely poisoned my spirit. Help me not to get stuck here. Help me to work through these turbulent emotions, to move from hurt and confusion to acceptance and finally to unconditional trust. Help me to rest in Your love and in the great promises of Scripture. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, I know that my beloved did not live in vain. Her life was rich with meaning, and she enriched everyone whose life she touched. I’m tempted to think of her death as a waste, an unspeakable loss, but by an act of my will I choose not to. Instead I choose to remember that You have a long history of bringing good out of the most unspeakable loss. Although I cannot imagine how, I choose to believe that You will bring eternal good out of this terrible tragedy. With a trembling heart I offer you a sacrifice of praise, lifting both my beloved’s death and my painful grief to You in worship. Redeem her death and my grief. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.
Lord Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life! You have conquered death, hell, and the grave. You have prepared an eternal abode for Your own and already my beloved is with You. Her suffering is over. You have wiped the last tear from her eye, and she is more alive than she has ever been. Although my loneliness is unspeakable, I would not bring her back for anything. As much as I love her, I know You love her more. As happy as she was with me, I know she is even happier being with You. I take strength from Your abiding presence and comfort from Your promise of eternal life. One day my beloved and I will be together with You forever. Life without end! May Your name be glorified now and forever. Amen.
Exley, R., & Exly, R. (2013). When you lose someone you love: Comfort for those who grieve.
!!
