Grief is something we will all experience in this life. Whether it’s the loss of a person, a job, an opportunity, or a painful experience, grief is a natural response to any of these events. In an ideal world, we could all deal with grief in a healthy way, but this is usually not the case. Grief can be an overwhelming feeling. It’s uncomfortable which makes it easier to try to avoid. It can be especially difficult to comfort someone who is grieving. Whether we are the mourners or we are close, it is helpful to learn to deal with it or to be there in a comforting way for those who are grieving around us.
There are a couple of things we can do. For those around us, it can be helpful to send a card, let them know that you are there for them, or bring them a meal. When we are going through a period of personal grief, it can help us to open up to a friend or loved one, see a counselor, or open the Bible and find some verses that comfort our souls. The worst thing we can do is not deal with it. It is important that we go through grief and not stay there forever.
Another special way we can deal with grief is through prayer. Whether it is praying for our own struggle with grief or praying for those around us in mourning, prayer is a healthy way to deal with it.
What does a funeral prayer look like?
If you search the Bible, you will find places where people like us struggle with grief. Many of the psalms were written out of grief. They talked to God and told him how they were. They were reminded of who their God was and found comfort in him. They were essentially praying.
Let’s see how we can raise a prayer for grief for ourselves and others who are going through a period of pain.
Comforting writings for grief
As mentioned earlier, if we want to know what a prayer for grief looks like, we can look at the scriptures. Not only can we see how to pray, but these verses can also give us comfort as we mourn.
Here are some comforting scriptures for our time of mourning:
“The Lord is near to the broken; he saves those whose spirits are broken. ”- Psalms 34:18
“The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will answer my prayer ”- Psalms 6: 9
“I cry with grief; encourage me by your word. ”- Psalms 119: 28
“All praise be to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all consolation ”- 2 Corinthians 1: 3
“Do not be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t get discouraged because I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you with my victorious right hand. ”- Isaiah 41:10
“He comforts us in all of our needs so that we can comfort others. When they are in trouble, we can give them the same comfort that God has given us. ”- 2 Corinthians 1: 4
“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad I will put my hope in God! I will praise him once more – my Savior and my God! ”- Psalms 42:11
“Although he brings grief, he also shows compassion for the magnitude of his infallible love.” – Lamentations 3:32
“You keep an eye on all my worries. You collected all of my tears in your bottle. They recorded each one in your book. ”- Psalms 56: 8
“God blesses those who mourn because they are comforted.” – Matthew 5: 4
“He will wipe every tear from her eyes and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain. All of these things are gone forever. ”- Revelation 21: 4
These verses can bring such comfort in a time of grief. When we see the raw emotions in these verses, we know that we can be perfectly real and honest with God. When we pray, we are connected and approaching him, and that’s where he wants us to be.
A prayer for grief: For ourselves
Father,
Thank you for being the “source of all consolation,” as I Corinthians 1: 3 says. I ask for your consolation to overwhelm me now. I am not feeling well. My heart is sad and I don’t know what to do about it except come to you now. Help me process what I’m going through and don’t just sweep my feelings under the rug. I’m not good at it so I don’t know what to do next. Help me reach out to others if necessary. Help me trust that you will be with me every moment I go through this. I am grateful that this will not take forever and that one day you will do everything right. Help me keep my eyes on you and cling to you during this time. Thank you for meeting me right where I am. Amen.
A prayer for grief: For others
Father,
I praise you that you are not a god who is far away, but who is with us and who is always close to us. I pick up anyone struggling with grief right now. Help them know that you are close and that you will heal their broken hearts. As Psalm 42:11 says, help them know that they can put their “hope in God.” You will not let them down. Help them believe this about you. Surround them with people who can help them through this time and help them be vulnerable so they can process what they are going through. Give us eyes to see others who may be grieving and teach us how best to serve them. Lord help us remember that when we are grieving you know exactly what we are going through because you went through it yourself. They understand and can relate to us. We put the mourners we know into your loving hands because they know exactly what they need. Amen.
What to say to someone who is mourning?
When we know someone who is grieving, it can be difficult to say what would help. It is a sensitive and emotional time for those who are going through it, so we want to be careful with the words we use.
Here are some things we can say to someone who is grieving:
“It’s okay to feel all feelings.”
“I am here for you.”
“I mourn with you.”
“I just sit down with you, be present and listen when you want to talk.”
“It’s okay not to be okay.”
“I’m bringing dinner, what do you want?”
“I don’t know what to say, but I’m sorry and I love you.”
Grief is likely to be one of the hardest things we have to go through and one of the hardest things we others have to go through. However, we can be confident that we have prayers to help ourselves and others with this. We can also find reassurance that the Lord is always with us and that grief will not last forever. It’s just about allowing ourselves to feel it when we let the Lord in so He can heal us.
Photo credit: © GettyImages / fizkes
Becky Weber is a wife and mother of 4 children. She loves to write and speak. She is the wife of a pastor in Sioux Falls, SD, where her husband Adam is the senior pastor of Embrace Church. Her passion is to encourage others (especially women) to walk with Jesus on a daily basis. You can find more at www.becweber.com and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.