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GRIEF PRAYERS
GRIEF PRAYER 1
By Your grace, O God, lover of my soul, strength of my body, light of my life, I am sustained, freed from my sorrow. My heart is at peace for I am one with You. My faith has told me so. I draw nearer to You, dear loving God, that I may be nearer to my loved one who is with You. Help me to know perfectly that life is eternal, and death but a shadow that hides from my earthly sight the unseen world into which my dear one has stepped. Love knows no boundaries, and the love of my heart reaches into the beyond. You did not lose when You gave this dear one to me, and I cant lose when my beloved returns to Your eternal home. As it promises in the Bible, "In God's house are many rooms" (John 14:2). Still in the shadow of Your protection, still in Your loving care, only into another room has my dear one gone. This I know, even as I know You are ever watchful over me. As to life in this other room, I trust that to You. I know that when the veils of uncertainty are fully lifted from my vision I shall see clearly into this room, and know perfectly all that is now hidden. Help me, dear God, to understand the mystery of eternal life. Some day I shall understand. Until then I am content to know that my beloved is with You, safe in Your everlasting arms. In Jesus Christ's name... Amen (Helen S. Carpenter)
COMFORT ME, LORD
Dear God, I pray to be comforted by Your loving presence. May I continue to be spiritually aware that life continues. God, I know that as I cross that threshold that humans call death, I will come to realize that it is a joyous experience of reunion with those who have gone on ahead of me. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen
GRIEF PRAYER 3
Dear God, with the loss of our dear one, we turn sincerely to You, for the comfort and strength that You have to offer. We willingly turn to You in this time of need and we surrender all of our pain in one great gesture of letting go. Dear God, we open ourselves to the influx of Your love, comfort, and strength. By becoming still in prayer, by listening, we hear Your voice, God, assuring us that all is not lost. We know with Your help, darkness will turn to light. We find acceptance in our hearts of a deep and unexplainable Presence that gives us the strength to carry on. Dear God, we feel Your Presence and warmth of Your love. In the awareness of our oneness with You, we feel a sense of closeness with all those whom we love, even (name) who has passed beyond our physical sight. We see [name] enfolded in Your love, and we know that Your light illumines [name] path. Through the language of prayer, we extend the blessings of mind and heart to this dear one. To [name] in [his/her] ongoing we say: "We know that your faith is a lamp unto your feet. We know that you are secure in God and in life that is endless. We remember Jesus'' words of eternal life. We are lifted up in the thought of the eternal unending life in which we live, in which (name) lives. The Comforter with us brings to our remembrance the assurance that though to appearances life may seem to cease, behind the appearances is the Truth of eternal life. And now, dear God, we give thanks that You strengthen us and lead us on our way, as we make our own adjustments in the days to come. We give thanks for guidance, understanding, strength, and peace. God, we thank Thee, for Thine "is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." Amen.
"The Traveler"
by James Dillet Freeman [He/She] has put on invisibility. Dear Lord, I cannot see-- But this I know, although the road ascends And passes from my sight; That there will be no night~ That You will take [him/her] gently by the hand And lead [him/her] on Along the road of life that never ends, And [he/she/ will find it is not death but dawn I do not doubt that You are there as here, And You will hold [him/her] dear. Our life did not begin with birth, It is not of the earth; And this that we call death, it is no more Than the opening and closing of a door-- And in Your house how many rooms must be Beyond this one where we rest momently Dear Lord, I thank You for the faith that frees, The love that knows it cannot lose its own, The love that, looking through the shadows see That you and [he/she] and I are ever one.
GRIEF PRAYER 4
Dear God, we know that You are here as everywhere. We know that You consecrate this place and receive this human form. In its transition, we commit to Your care and keeping the soul we love. To our dear one, this true spiritual being, we say: "There shall be a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" (Isaiah 61:3). We lift our eyes above and beyond "the valley of the shadow of death," (Psalms 23:4). to the sunrise of a new day and to a new life. We bless our dear one in [his/her] journey forward, and we loose [him/her] and Iet [him/her] go. As we turn to face the work that lies before us, we remember the promise of Jesus- "Lo, I am with you always" Matthew 28:20) Thank You, God, for the privilege we have had to share our life experience with [name]. We know that all the good we have shared with [name] makes us richer and better able to fulfill our part in the challenge of living. We thank You, God for Your love and ever-present help on our way. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Eternal Vision
They know me who think that I am only flesh and blood... A transcendent dweller on this fragile earth that gave me human birth. For I am spirit...eternal, indestructible, Not confined to space or time.e And when my sojourn here is through, My roles fulfilled, my assignments done, I will lay aside this suit called my body And move on to other mansions, roles, assignments In God's house of eternal life. So dry your tears... Weep not overmuch for me-or for yourself. Set me free, In the love that holds us all and makes us one eternally! Our paths will cross again... Our minds and hearts will touch; Our souls will shout with joy and laughter As we recall the lives we've lived, the worlds we've seen, The ways we've trod to find ourselves-at last-in God. (Anonymous)
QUOTES
"It is not the length of life - but the depth of life that counts." Ralph Waldo Emerson "One life - a little gleam of time between two eternities." Thomas Carlyle "If a tiny baby could think, it would be afraid of birth. To leave the only world it has known would seem a kind of death. But immediately after birth, the child would find itself in loving arms, showered with affection and cared for at every moment. Surely the baby would say, "I was foolish to doubt God's plan for me. This is a beautiful life." It is the same for our loved ones passing on to the other side." Christopher Ian Chenoweth "Death is only an horizon, and an horizon is nothing, save the limit of our sight." Rossiter Worthington Raymond "It is a spiritual realization that "passing" is a never-ending experience rather than a life-ending one." Christopher Ian Chenoweth "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are." Joseph Campbell "The word "goodbye" - originally "God-be-with-you" or "Go-with-God" was a recognition that God was a significant part of the going. When you dread or fear a journey, there is added strength in knowing that God IS with you, and goes ahead of you preparing the way." Christopher Ian Chenoweth
BIBLE REASSURANCE ON CONTINUING LIFE
"God will lead you, will be with you, will not fail you or desert you. Have no fear. Do not be disheartened by anything." Deuteronomy 31:8 "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God; how great is the sum of them!...when I awake, I am still with Thee!" Psalms 139:17 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4 "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes God who sent me hath eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" John 11:25,26 "What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown but - it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, but it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, "The first person, Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. The first person was from the earth, a person of dust; the second person is from heaven. As was the person of dust, so are those who are of the dust, and as is the person of heaven, so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the person of dust, we will also bear the image of the person of heaven." 1 Corinthians 15:42-49 "So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent that we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Corinthians 4:16 - 5:1
GONE FROM MY SIGHT
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other. Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone!" "Gone where?" Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says, "There, she is gone!"' there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout; "Here she comes!" And that is dying. Henry Van Dyke, 19th Century clergyman, educator, poet, and religious writer
Prayer of Grief
Lord, someone we have loved has been taken from us, Someone precious, irreplaceable. And we know that there are no words we can say at this moment to express what we are feeling. No words that could alleviate our sorrow Or take away the pain. So we come this evening simply to bring you our grief, the shock and the pain, The emptiness, the anger and the despair, The loneliness, the fear and the uncertainty Which at times still overwhelms us. We come bringing those honestly before you, And asking for strength in times of darkness. Hold on to us, Even when we find it hard to hold on to you. Be very near, Even when we feel you to be very far away. Support us in the weeks and yes even the years ahead. Grant us comfort, as You have promised, Until the time finally comes when we can look back Not just with pain but thanksgiving Not just with sorrow but with joy. Lord, support us all the day long, Until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, And the busy world is hushed, And the fever of life is over, And our work is done. Then in Your mercy, Grant us a safe lodging And a holy rest, And peace at last. (Anonymous)
GRIEVING TIME, A TIME FOR LOVE
If a loved one has departed, And left an empty space, Seek the inner stillness, Set a slower pace. Take time to remember, Allow yourself to cry, Acknowledge your emotions, Let sadness pass on by. Then center in the oneness, Remember ... God is here, Death is but a change in form, Your loved one is still near. Treat yourself with kindness, Allow yourself to feel, God will do the mending, And time will help you heal. Barbara Bergen
A BLESSING FOR A LOVED ONE
Dear God, I realize that prayer is the language of Spirit unlimited by time and space. I pray that my prayer sends a real blessing to one whom I have loved who has gone on to the other side. Dear God, today in prayer I send a blessing to my loved one. Through You, God, I send my blessings of love and warm memories. I pray for your great ongoing and for God to continue to guide you and lead you. Through prayer I send my thanks to you for being an important part of my life. Thank you for the gifts of time and energy that you gave so freely to me. I want you to know, through prayer. that my life is better today because you were a formative part of it. Thank you. I love you, dear loved one, and I always will. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen
In The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran wrote:
Life is but a stopping place A pause in what's to be A resting place along the road To sweet eternity. We all have different journeys, Different paths along the way We were all meant to learn some things But never meant to stay. Our destination is a place Far greater than we know. For some the journey's quicker For some the journey's slow. And when the journey finally ends We claim a great reward And find everlasting peace Together with the Lord.
POSITIVE CHRISTIANITY MEMORIAL PRAYER
Positive Christianity is praying with all those who have passed on to the other side, and those that are left behind to treasure their memory. We pray for those who now are charged with carrying the legacy that this great person left behind. The greatest memorial to this person, will be for us to live our lives the way that they would have wished. We pray that God will bless and keep our loved ones enfolded in God's loving presence. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen
MEMORIAL DAY BLESSING
God, I ask in prayer for a blessing of all those who served our great country and gave their lives in war so that we can continue the high standard of life that we enjoy. I pray that all are comforted and sustained as they continue their life experience on the other side. I ask You to be with their families today letting them know that life continues and it does not end. Dear God, I pray that all those who visit cemeteries today are comforted by Your loving presence. May each person be spiritually aware that life continues. God, I know that each one of us, as we cross that threshold that humans call death, will come to realize that it is a joyous experience of reunion with those who have gone on ahead of us. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep, I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glint on the snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in mornings hush, I am the swift uplifting rush, Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry, I am not there, I did not die.
Celebration of Life
Let us pray. Although death is sad and we will miss our loved one we choose this day O God to celebrate the life which was lived. In the beauty of Your bountiful goodness we thank You for this precious time we have spent with our loved one. This life was blessed by good friends, loving family relationships and meaningful work and commitments. In thanksgiving and gratitude we pray with each other and You dear God to share our deepest feelings. Through our worship, through our care for one another, and through our faith in You, may each of us be reminded of the goodness of Your life-giving love and rejuvenation. In Jesus Christ's name... Amen
Into God and Love We Release Our Dear One
How precious is the understanding that this dear one is in The Presence of Eternal Life! How wonderful to know that this beloved soul is enfolded in God's compassionate love! The imperishable glory of Spirit lives on forever. That which lives never dies. With profound devotion in God, I realize that there can be no more tears, crying for sorrow. Neither shall there be any more pain. For we are All One In God Eternal. This is the Spiritual Reality now and forever. As loving friends met us when we came into the world, so loving friends and skilled workers meet this dear one. There can be no shock or surprise. Only glad awakening in God's Presence. The Living, healing Christ is with this dear one. All feeling of loss and separation is gone. That which is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven. And so I loose this dear one into the Greater Radiance of God's endless Life and Love. In the words of Soul's Immortal Rhapsody I say: Sail on, Sail on, O Soul Divine, Into the Infinite great and fine, Into a world all bright and new Walk with a million souls Right and true. Into the Radiance, into the Light, Into the realm that knows no night. Always ascending, on and on Sail on, O Soul - sail on! (B. Wilson)
Scattering of the Ashes / Cremation Prayer
" When I am dead, let not the narrow grave Shroud with its darkness that which once I was, Shutting me out from all the life and light That nature brings in changing seasons here. Let no one robed in customary black Read threadbare precepts o'er the tenement That held my being erst; and this I pray: No gloomy crept nor ceremonial grief. If there be those who loved me when I lived, Be sure they mourn me in their inmost hearts; Putting aside the many faults I had and thinking only of my better self. To those, if such there be - aye, surely some- I send my love throughout the passing years; And this is what I ask, that when I die, The shell that held my spirit must be burned, Ashes to ashes and dust return to dust. Than in the earliest days of early spring, When sway the primrose and the buttercup, When bladed grass peeps timid from the ground And singing brooks go rippling to the sea - Then let some friend of mine my ashes take And scatter them abroad so that the winds May give them back again to mother earth. So I will be content; for this I know, That I shall feel the breath of the southern winds Fanning the banks of odorous violets; And falling thick across the happy fields The yellow flakes of sunlight I shall see. This will be no death, for all to hear The bluebirds sing when April opens the door, And often o'er my path shall come and go The robins call and thrushes mellow notes. To live in nature, share her varied moods, Laugh with the sunshine, sigh in whispering winds, Bloom with the rose, and with the grasses wave: This is the body's immortality. As for the sudden passing of my soul - The torch inverted, and the harp unstrung - Think of me journeying through sunlit lands: I shall be there to meet you by and by."
THE ROSES WILL BLOOM AGAIN
Roses in their grandeur With fragrance fill the air, Spreading beauty throughout nature In gardens everywhere. But comes a time of pruning As autumn breezes blow, Then time for resting quietly Beneath the winter snow. Our lives are like roses, Showing God's joy and grace; Yet there are times of wintry winds When we cannot see God's face... Times of dormant living, Times when our pruning prevails, But roses yet again will bloom, For we know God never fails. (Joyce L. Salfingere)
BEYOND
It seemeth such a little way to me Across to that strange country - the beyond; And yet, not strange, for it has grown to be The home of those of whom I am so fond, They make it seem familiar and most dear, As journeying friends bring distant regions near. So close it lies, that when my sight is clear I think I almost see the gleaming strand. I know I feel those who have gone from here Come near enough sometimes, to touch my hand. I often think, but for our veiled eyes, We should find heaven right round about us lies. And so for me there is no sting to death, And so the grave has lost its victory. It is but crossing - with bated breath, And white, set face - a little strip of sea, To find the loved ones waiting on the shore, More beautiful, more precious than before. (Ella Wheeler Wilcox)
HIGH FLIGHT
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth, And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings Sunward I have climbed and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there. I have chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless hills of air. Up, up the long delirious burning blue, I topped the wind-swept Heights with easy grace. Where never a lark or even eagle flew. And while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high, un-trespassed sanctuary of space. Put out my hand and touched the face of God. (John Magee Jr.)
ANOTHER DAWN
Now we live in a world of light and darkness, life and death. The sun that rises in the morning seems to set in the evening. Yet, if we could rise out of the shadow of the earth, we should see that the sun does not truly set; it Burns in the heavens always. Neither does the son of life ever set; if we could rise high enough, we should see that life is a continuous process and that death is but the shadow cast by our earthiness... Though now the appearances of all things change, the laws that rule the world, the insights of love, the wisdom of the heart, the power of faith, of beauty and truth - these do not change. Beyond our day and night, our ebb and flow... the Eternal is eternally the same. (James Dillet Freeman)
GRIEF (Bible quote)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
The Song of the River
The snow melts on the mountain And the water runs down to the spring. And the spring in a turbulent fountain, With a song of youth to sing, Runs down to the riotous river, And the river flows to the sea, And the water again Goes back in rain To the hills where it used to be. And I wonder if life's deep mystery Isn't much like the rain and the snow Returning through all eternity To the places that used to know. For life was born on lofty heights And flows in all laughing stream, To the river below Whose onward flow Ends in a peaceful dream. And so at last, When our life has passed And the river has run its course, It again goes back, O'er the selfsame track, To the mountain which was its source. So why prize life Or why fear death, Or dread what it is to be? The river ran its allotted span Till it reached the silent sea. Than the water harked back to the mountaintop To begin its course once more. So we shall run the course begun Till we reach the silent shore. Then revisit the earth in a pure rebirth From the heart of the virgin snow. So don't ask why we live or die, Or whither, or when we go Or wonder about the mysteries That only God may know. William Randolph Hearst AFFIRMATIONS
Only one prayer is shown per page.I trust in God's eternal plan of good for all. I place myself and my dear one lovingly in God's hands. God is with me, and God is with my loved one. God's love enfolds me and my loved one. We are united in God's love. My loved one is in God's care and keeping. God is with me now. I am not alone. God's love strengthens, comforts and sustains me. God is at work in me and in all that concerns me. I trust God to guide me through life's changes with love and reassurance. God is with me, showing me the way, preparing me for any changes that life may present. I rest in the comfort of God's care. God gives me courage to move forward in life. God is love; and that love you safely dwell. I trust the eternal welfare of your soul into God's care and keeping. Click on the NEXT PRAYER button for another selection To Print - Right-click on your mouse, and select "Print.", press Ctrl-P, or use your browser's Print function. Presented by the PositiveChristianity.org web site. |
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