Prayers are often incorporated into funerals and memorial services. They can be used as a part of a speech, tribute, prayer, eulogy or reading. Prayers are also used in funeral and memorial printing , such as funeral programs, order of service programs, funeral and Memorial bookmarks and memorial prayer cards. Below are several funeral prayers that can be used in your Christian funeral services and funeral stationery.
The Resurrection Prayer
I am the resurrection and the Life,
Saith the Lord: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die.
I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
and though his body be destroyed, yet shall I see GOD: whom I shall see for myself,
and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.
We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
The Twenty-Third Psalm The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, They comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord – forever.
The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen
Alternative Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen
The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with
Him forever in the next.
Amen.
PEACE Lord, Make me a channel of thy peace- That where there is hatred, I may bring love; That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; That where there is discord, I may bring harmony; That where there is error, I may bring truth; That where there is doubt, I may bring faith; That where there is despair, I may bring hope; That where there are shadows, I may bring light;
That where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; To understand, than be understood; To love, than be loved. For it is by self-forgetting that one finds. It is by forgiving that one is forgiven. It is by dying that one awakens to find – Eternal Life.
Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow Love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may seek not so much 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.
A Season To everything there is a season,
and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.
A Prayer For The Dead God our Father,
Your power brings us to birth,
Your providence guides our lives,
and by Your command we return to dust.
Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,
their lives change but do not end.
I pray in hope for my family,
relatives and friends,
and for all the dead known to You alone.
In company with Christ,
Who died and now lives,
may they rejoice in Your kingdom,
where all our tears are wiped away.
Unite us together again in one family,
to sing Your praise forever and ever.
Amen.
Lord Of All We Praise You Lord of all, we praise you
for all who have entered into their rest
and reached the promised land where you are seen face to face.
Give us grace to follow in their footsteps
as they followed in the way of your Son.
Thank you for the memory of those you have called to yourself:
by each memory, turn our hearts from things seen to things unseen,
and lead us till we come to the eternal rest
you have prepared for your people,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Now I lay me down to sleep Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
The Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which hunger and thirst
after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall
obtain mercy.
Little Angels When god calls little children to dwell with Him above,
We mortals sometimes question the wisdom of His love.
For no heartache compares with the death of one small child,
who does so much to make our world seem wonderful and mild.
Perhaps God tires of calling the aged to His fold,
so He picks a rosebud, before it can grow old.
God knows how much we need them, and so he takes but few
to make the land of heaven more beautiful to view.
Believing this is difficult still somehow we must try,
the saddest word mankind knows will always be “Goodbye”
So when a little child departs, we who are
left behind must realize God loves children,
angels are hard to find.
(Author unknown)
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Losing a loved one brings many emotions out of us all. Sometimes it also leaves many unanswered questions. Death is never an easy experience to witness and to grieve through. We all have had trials through watching loved ones die. I had 3 dear friends killed by a drunk driver 5 years ago. The 2 little kids were only 3 years old and 11 months old. Death is not an easy process to work through and if you need prayer, please comment below and I will pray for you! I am using the names John and Jane as the people who have passed in these 6 prayers. One prayer, labeled below, is for personal time and the other 5 can be prayed at the funeral services.
No more Laboring
“And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’” (Revelation 14:13)
Father in Heaven,
I thank You for my brother John. His years of service for the kingdom impacted all of us in such a wonderful way. He gave money to the needy. He spent time visiting the elderly in the nursing homes. He went on missions trips. He loved his wife like Christ loves the church! Father, this is such a bittersweet time for us all. John’s faith was so evident in how he lived his life. He was the type of man that would lay his life down for any one of his friends, and Father, he has a lot of friends. We all love and miss him dearly, but we know that he is in a much better place, walking down the streets of Heaven and with Jesus. Lord, we are thankful for our brother and we anticipate seeing him again in Glory. May Your Name be praised always! We love and thank You for our brother, John. Amen
No Vacancy
“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:2-3)
Blessed Lord,
We thank You for our dear sister, Jane. She could sing even sweeter than the birds. She was such a blessing to our church family and the surrounding community. Father, we know she is singing to You right now in Heaven, and what a wonderful time it must be! Father her favorite song was “When We All Get To Heaven” and I have to say that there is not a time more fitting than to recite the chorus of this song right now. “When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!” Father, she is singing and shouting the victory right now and we join her from here on earth. You have prepared a room for her, Lord, and now she will dwell with You forever and ever. We thank You for our dear sister, Jane. We love You, Father! Amen
Hopelessness
(This prayer is for personal time and not at the funeral service)
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Oh Lord,
I am dying inside! Why didn’t John seek You? Why didn’t he search for You? I don’t know how to move on from this. I loved John more than anyone and I cannot picture Heaven without him and yet it is. My thoughts are plaguing me day and night! He chose to live for himself and now to think about where his eternity is, is killing me! There is nothing I can do and I am helpless, Lord. I need You now more than ever, Father, to help me through this painful time. How do I move on knowing these things, Lord? Please, comfort and guide me through this chaotic time of life. I miss John, Father. I love You, Lord! Amen
This Is Painful
“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
Father in Heaven,
We lift up the family and friends of our friend, Jane. Lord, only You know her heart. We are all praying that she accepted Jesus before passing away. Lord, we will never know until we ourselves leave this earth, and so we pray for You to draw near to us. We are all broken over this. We need Your touch right now, Father. Wrap Your arms around the family of this woman and give them a peace that only You can give. May they seek You daily for comfort, support and love as they tarry through this time of grief. We praise You for sending us Jesus to die for our sins and we thank You that You loved us enough to do so. We ask and pray all of these things in Your Name. Amen
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…
It Is Finished
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
Merciful Father,
The passing of our dear friend and sister, Jane, is bittersweet. Lord, she suffered so long in the hospital battling against cancer. Lord, she was more of an encouragement to us at times. I remember visiting her and reminiscing about when we were younger. The good times we had will never be forgotten, Father. I prayed over her in that hospital room and we both felt Your presence with us. Lord, we all knew the outcome was not good, and yet, anyone who came to visit her would think the opposite. Jane still smiled with joy at each visitor. She was such an encouragement to us all. She walked and talked what she believed, Lord. Jesus lived in her heart and soul and we are so happy that she will never shed another tear again over cancer. Lord, while close friends and family are still crying and grieving over our dear sister, I pray that You draw close to us all and comfort us in the loss of this amazing woman. We love You, Lord! Amen
Unexpected Loss
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4a)
Father,
We are grieving over the unexpected loss of our brother, John. Lord, just last Sunday he was telling me how excited he was to be part of this church. He was on fire for You, Father. We all saw how joy radiated from him. His love for You was unquenchable and we are mourning the loss of this wonderful man. Father, be with his wife and young children. Raise this congregation up to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this family. Father, love on John’s children. Wrap Your arms around them, for there will be a day when they see him again in Heaven. Father, speak tenderly to his wife and comfort her in this unbearable time of life. Father, this is a very tragic event and yet we know that nothing surprises You. So, in faith we continue to ask and seek Your will in this most desperate time of need. Father, shower this family with love and affection as they grieve through this painful time. We love You, and thank You for Jesus! Amen
Conclusion
If you are mourning the loss of a loved one, please feel free to comment below and I will pray for you. Death is not an easy thing to process and we all can use prayer and support from one another. God is with you! May God continue to bless you as you live a life worthy of the calling.
Take a look at this article that might be of interest to you:
What Does the Bible Say About Death
“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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Below is a collection of Funeral prayers that can be said before, during, or after a funeral ceremony or wake. It’s important to remember and cherish those who have passes with sacred blessings.
A funeral prayer should be comforting. Death is an uncomfortable time, but their is comfort in knowing that the deceased is now with God.
Oh Father of Mercies
Oh Father of mercies, and God of all comfort,
Thou hast often invited us to thyself in kindness.
It manifests our depravity that we think of Thee so little
In our hour of ease and prosperity!
But we are now before Thee in affliction and distress.
Yet we rejoice to know that Thou art a very present and an
All-sufficient help in trouble.
Read The 15 Best Christian Funerals Poems
The Trifles of Time
O let not the trifles of time
induce us to neglect the one thing
needful. While each of us is
compelled to say, I know Thou
wilt bring me to death, and to
the house appointed for all
living, may we be enabled also
to say, I know in whom I have
believed, and am persuaded that
He is able to keep that which
I have committed to Him against
that day.
And let not the solemnities we have
this day witnessed be ever
forgotten; for often our most
serious impressions have worn
off, and our goodness has been
as the morning cloud, and as
early dew that soon passeth away.
Meditation on Death and Dying
May we hear thy voice in Thy rod, as well as in Thy word;
And gathering from the corrections with which we are
Exercised the peaceable fruit of righteousness, be able to
Acknowledge, with all our suffering brethren before us.
Now in our grief, we are ever mindful of Thee, and we
Humbly request Thy blessing, not just for our brethren
Who have gone to Thy side, but for ourselves, that we
Need not suffer such loss to remain ever mindful of Thee!
Going Home
It is not only the Scripture that reminds us of our living in
A dying world, but all observation and experience.
Man is continually going to his long home, and the mourners
Daily go about the streets. And we are all accomplishing
As hirelings our day, and in a little time our neighbors,
Friends, and relations will seek us ” and we shall not be.
Thou hast made our days as a hands breadth,
And our age is as nothing before Thee; verily every man at
His best estate is altogether vanity.
Suffer Us Not, At Our Last Hour
For our days are not only few; but full of evil. Anxieties
perplex us; dangers alarm us; infirmities oppress us;
disappointments afflict us; losses impoverish us;
And we fear Thine anger and Thine wrath.
O shut not Thy merciful ear to our prayers, but spare us,
O most Holy Lord; O God, most mighty;
O holy and most merciful Savior; Thou most worthy judge
eternal.
Suffer us not, at our last hour, for any bitter pains
of death, to fall from Thee. And we beseech Thee O Lord
To receive with mercy unto Thine arms the soul of our dear
departed brethren today, that we may rejoice in their life
And honor their passing to Thy eternal care.
Amen!
Thou Takest Away
Thou takest away, and who can hinder Thee, or say unto Thee
“What doest Thou?” Thou hast a right to do what Thou
wilt with Thine own.
Thou art a sovereign and the reasons of Thy conduct are often
far above, out of our sight. But Thy work is perfect, Thy
ways are judgment.
All Thy dispensations are wise, and righteous, and kind —
Even when they seem to be severe, as in this time of grief.
We acknowledge O God, with shame and sorrow, that the
state of degradation and mortality in which we groan was not
our original condition. Thou madest man upright, but he
sought out many inventions. Our first Father sinned, and we
have borne his iniquity. By one man sin entered into the
world, And death by sin; and so death hath passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned.
And we bless Thee that this is not our final state. By the
discoveries of faith, we see new heavens, and a new earth
wherein dwelleth righteousness. We see the spirits of just
men made perfect. We see our vile bodies changed and
fashioned like the Saviors own glorious body; and man,
the sinner, raised above the angels, who never sinned.
We bless Thee for this purpose of grace, formed before the
world began, and accomplished in the fullness of time
by the Son of Thy love, who hath abolished death, and
brought life and immortality to light by the gospel; and
who among the ravages of the grave, says, “I am the
Resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though
He were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die.
May it be our immediate and supreme concern to win Christ,
and be found in Him; knowing that there is no condemnation
to them that are in Christ Jesus; and that blessed are the
dead that die in the Lord.
So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts
unto wisdom ” that wisdom which will lead us to prefer the
uoul to the body; and eternity to time; that wisdom which
will lead us to secure an interest in a better world, before
we are removed from this one.
Scripture for Funerals
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4
Click here to read more Bible Verses for Funerals
If you have any funeral prayers you’d like to share, please do so below. Also, feel free to submit a prayer request. That way, the whole Prayers for Special Help community can help pray for your loved one.
God Bless, you have our sympathy.
Prayer Request: Post Your Own “Funeral Prayers”
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If you’d like, you can post your prayer below so the PrayWithMe community can help pray with you.
Rules for Posting: All prayers are posted publicly through to this site. Don’t use full names or any other identifying information that you wouldn’t want out on the web.
Don’t post with ALL CAPS, and try to use proper spelling and grammar.
If you can, help pray for others and post comments of support.
Recent prayer requests…
Tap below to see prayers from other visitors to this site.
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- forever – In thy world we shall walk forever for thee hath forsaken us. thy command has no meaning.
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“What am I supposed to say?”
Unfortunately, there are times in the life of the clergy when we are called upon to officiate at the funeral of someone who died of suicide. Frequently, such as when drugs are involved, the situation can be devastatingly confusing because sometimes no one knows — nor will ever know — whether the death was deliberate.
As a rabbi I feel there is an additional difficulty because Judaism adamantly opposes suicide. In a tradition that commands us to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), the Jewish sages rejected suicide as an option for pain. Jewish law even holds we do not eulogize a suicide because the deceased should not be held up as a model to emulate.
However, family and community need comfort. A eulogy doesn’t have to be about praising the dead. Instead, we come together to carry one small fraction of people’s pain, however little our help may be. The task of anyone who cares is simply to be there and accompany the family and friends in this nightmare. We should speak at the funeral to try to meet a myriad of needs: to name and demystify the cause of death out loud and clearly, to acknowledge that all such deaths are by a kind of coercion (whether through addiction or depression), to state the truth that pain may feel like it is forever but it is transient, to validate a spectrum of difficult feelings, to reach out to others who are hurting and thinking about doing the same, and to get through each day of grief.
No prayers are adequate. In truth, there are no words for such a situation. And so we — clergy, friends, and loved ones — usually think, “What am I supposed to say?” Because there is no such prayer in my prayer book for this situation, I composed the following out of desperation. After all, prayers are the words we say when we have no words.
Anyone using this prayer should of course use their own sensitive, good sense in adapting it to be appropriate for each particular situation. I hope what follows is helpful.
“Prayer at the Funeral of Someone Who Committed Suicide”
Let there be no whispering, no secrets here:
Our hearts are broken.
_____ took his/her own life.
And even though it might appear
that s/he died by his/her own hand,
no one does this without great, coercing pain,
inner suffering that seems to have no end,
even though we wish
s/he knew that no agony is forever.
Source of compassion, help us to cry out loud,
to hold each other gently,
to live with unanswerable questions,
normal feelings of anger and guilt,
and this gaping hole of loss.
Help us to reach out to others who are suffering,
to show them our love, to say the kind word,
and that this is not a choice we condone
or is worth imitation.
It is hard to see the divine image in the lives of those who suffer.
The sun sets and rises.
We put one foot in front of the other.
We hold our hearts in our hands.
We lift them up to You, God of eternal peace,
and to each other.
Help us live each day.
Amen.
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