By Brad Andres
Praying with the dying can be an intimidating thing. The time nearing death can be a very stressful and scary time for families and friends of the ill.
Let’s go over some of the basics of praying for someone who is nearing death. We’ve also included some sample prayers for the dying below to help guide you through this process.
If you do not know the individual, then spend some time getting to know them as a person. Ask them about their family, about their life. Find out what they are proud of, ask if they have any regrets. Discover what they believe the afterlife is going to be like.
(Read Bible Verses about Death, and Bible Verses about Heaven)
Once a rapport is established, albeit however small, then you can move onto the praying part. People need to know you care about them before you pray for them, and taking the time to ask about their life is one way to do that.
Therefore, following establishing a relationship, here are a few things to remember which will help guide you when saying prayers for the ill.
1. Do they know Jesus?
This is the most important question which you need to answer before praying with someone as they are about to pass onto the next life. If they do not know Jesus, you need to introduce them to each other as soon as possible.
In all actuality, if they do not know Jesus, then there is not much point in progressing further. Yes, you will still pray with them, for God’s comfort, peace, and rest, but if they are not going to inherit the free gift of eternal life, then what is the point? The point of praying those things is that maybe something will click, possibly the Lord could grab ahold of their hearts before death, and they may encounter Jesus before their passing. And besides, it is just courteous to bless someone in their dark hours of life.
Prayer To Know Jesus Before Dying
Lord Jesus,
Come into my life.
I believe you died and rose from the grave.
I believe you live eternally in heaven.
Cleanse me from all unrighteousness.
Forgive me of all my sins.
Move into my heart.
I make you my Lord and Savior.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
I accept your gift of eternal salvation.
Amen.
2. Pray for God’s peace.
Death can be frightening for some, and for others, death can be completely natural. Some who know Christ will face death fearlessly, while some others will be terrified. The same goes for those who are not in a relationship with Christ; some will be unafraid and some will be frightened.
As stated earlier, it will be good practice to pray for God’s comfort and peace regardless of that person’s level of relationship with Jesus.
A Comforting Prayer for the Dying
God,
Help discover your peace.
Let them receive your comfort.
Help them to be at rest knowing that you care for them,
and that you love them.
Calm their soul as they move into the afterlife.
May they spend eternity with you;
may they live forever in your presence.
Amen.
3. Pray for the Family
Just as death may be hard or easy for an individual, so can it be the same for any remaining family or friends. Sometimes when you have the opportunity to pray with the dying, you will be alone. Othertimes, family and friends will be present. Regardless, even if you pray this as you leave, it is still thoughtful to pray for those who will be mourning the person’s passing.
A Prayer for the Family of the Dying
God,
Bring this family peace.
Provide them with your comfort.
Let them know you tenderly care for each and every one of them.
Lead them to be reunited with their loved one some day.
Sit with them in their mourning.
Let your presence provide rest.
Thank you, for the gift of life that brought to the world.
May he rest peacefully with you for eternity.
Amen.
A final note to remember is that this time is an emotional and stressful time for all associated with the dying person. Therefore, you may be given a chance to pray, and you may not be given a chance to pray. Remember to respect all people’s wishes, and know that as you walk with God into the room, you are inviting His presence into the situation. If you pray these prayers on your way back home alone, it still carries power to allow God into the situation.
And we will finish with my prayer for you.
A Prayer for Those Going to Pray with the Dying
God,
Give this person strength.
Grant this person confidence.
Allow them the opportunity to discover if the passing person knows you.
Give them wisdom to know when to speak and what to say.
Let them bring your presence into the room.
Let them carry your love into the situation.
Encourage them with a special gift or your presence.
Amen.
If you’d like to submit a prayer request for someone who is ill, please do so below.
Brand Andres is a licensed minister and his passion is to help people understand the Bible and maximize
their God given potential for life.
Find him at BradAndres.com, and follow him on Twitter and Google.
www.praywithme.com
QUESTION: Can you give me several prayers for children?
ANSWER:
Parents/teachers, may this be a valuable resource to you in developing prayers for children, as well as teaching them how to pray…
Mark 10:13-14 says, “People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”
Jesus clearly made it understood to His disciples that no one was to hinder children in seeking Him, or being brought to Him! He values our little ones! He loves our little ones. He desires to communicate with children, and in my opinion, truly enjoys their simplistic faith! No deep theology to boggle the mind, they just accept that He is there and that He is God! Oh, that we as adults would sometimes do the same.
Consider these tips for teaching children how to pray:
- Prayer is just like talking to your mom and dad, except you’re talking to God, our Heavenly Father.
- God hears your every prayer, and even though you can’t physically see Him, He’s in Heaven listening!
- Pray for others, like “Uncle Jack who is sick.”
- God likes to hear from you a lot. We can pray at other times during the day as well as at bedtime.
- Thank God for what He has given you — your home, your family, your “stuff.”
- Tell God about the things that make you scared or worried.
- Tell God when you are angry! He’ll help you know what to do.
- Ask God how He wants you to treat others. . .like the bully at school.
- Ask God to forgive you of doing wrong to other people or their things. He’s a God of “second chances”!
- Ask God how you can show His love to other kids or adults.
Not all of these methods need to be taught in one prayer session! That would be too overwhelming at any age. Instead, simply use the right opportunity to present one of these tips.
For example, if you have a child who is particularly concerned about a parent leaving on a business trip, use tip number 6. If your child has a friend who is sad because his parents are getting a divorce, use tip number 3. Ample opportunities will arise to teach your children about prayer. My first and foremost tip would be to teach them by example. Let them see you pray, and hear you pray. That itself will teach them volumes!
Prayers for children need to be simple and to the point. Below are some examples you can adapt to your own specific situations:
“Dear God, thank you for my family, my home, and my pets. Some kids don’t’ have these things. Help me know how I can share with someone. And help me know how to show them you love them. Amen.”
“God, thank you for listening to me right now. I’m scared for my friend Joey. He’s moving, and he’s scared and doesn’t want to go. Help him find new friends and be happy again. Let him know you are there. Amen.
“God, I’m really, really mad at my sister right now! She just broke my favorite CD! Show me what to do. Amen.
“God, today I made a mistake. I did something I shouldn’t have. Please forgive me and help me not to do that again. Amen.
For very young children, consider using poem prayers like these:
Help me love, help me care, help me smile, help me share.
Help me give, help me grow, help me laugh, help me know. ©L.Cain7/06
Dear God above, you show me love, food you give, helps me live.
Sun so bright, my daily light, afternoon fun, in the sun.
To church we go, hearts will grow, friends to play, wonderful day.
Nice warm bed, to rest my head, time for rest, God is best. ©L.Cain 7/06
Help me Jesus
Know Your ways
Through the night
Through the days
Give me love
To show a friend
You’re always there
You never end. ©L.Cain 7/06
Thank you for mommy
Thank you for dad
Thank you for Jesus
Who makes me glad
Thank you for rain
And for sunshine above
But I thank you most
For your wonderful love. ©L.Cain 7/06
The hurting and hungry children of the world need our prayers and support. If you are investigating charities for children, we recommend the sponsorship programs at Compassion International.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
– We have all
sinned
and deserve God’s judgment.
God
, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.
Jesus
, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He
died
for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was
buried
, and
rose from the dead
according to the
Bible
. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your
Savior
, declaring, “
Jesus is Lord
,” you will be saved from
judgment
and spend eternity with God in heaven.
What is your response?
Yes, today I am deciding to follow JesusYes, I am already a follower of JesusI still have questions
www.allaboutprayer.org
For a Terminally Ill Woman or Girl
Loving God, I thank you for ____ and for the wonderful gift of her time with us. Thank you for the joy she has brought and continues to bring to my life and the lives of so many others, and especially those who love her. Thank you also for the people who give her joy, those who love her, past and present.
I pray today for strength for _______ in her body and in her spirit: Strength to find whatever healing there is in this time and place, strength as she waits to come home to you when she is ready and You call her to be with You for eternity. I pray for courage for her family as they support her and love her and surround her in care.
Mostly, dear Lord, I pray for peace. Peace for _______ in her body as the pain fades away, peace for her family and loved one in their hearts as they wait with her, and peace for ______ in her spirit as she finds her true peace in you. As in all places, help us know that you are here with us, granting your peace.
In the name of Christ, who taught us not to fear death and showed us beyond doubt that God will grant us victory over mortality through Him, I pray.
Amen.
Edvard Munch,
The Dying Child
For a Terminally Ill Man or Boy
Loving God, I thank you for ____ and for the wonderful gift of his time with us. Thank you for the joy he has brought and continues to bring to my life and the lives of so many others, and especially those who love him. Thank you also for the people who give him joy, those who love him, past and present.
I pray today for strength for _______ in his body and in his spirit: Strength to find whatever healing there is in this time and place, strength as he waits to come home to you when he is ready and You call him to be with You for eternity. I pray for courage for his family as they support him and love him and surround him in care.
Mostly, dear Lord, I pray for peace. Peace for _______ in his body as the pain fades away, peace for his family and loved one in their hearts as they wait with him, and peace for ______ in his spirit as he finds his true peace in you. As in all places, help us know that you are here with us, granting your peace.
In the name of Christ, who taught us not to fear death and showed us beyond doubt that God will grant us victory over mortality through Him, I pray.
Amen.
In Remembrance of One Departed
Almighty God, I remember this day before you your faithful servant , and pray that, having opened to the gates of larger life, you will receive more and more into your joyful service; that may win, with you and your servants everywhere, the eternal victory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer for the Departed
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend the souls of your servants departed from this life and beseech you to grant them rest in the place of your rest, where all the blessed repose, and where the light of your countenance shines forever.
And I pray also to grant that my present life may be godly, sober, and blameless, that I too may be made worthy to enter into your heavenly Kingdom with those I love but see no longer: for you are the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of your departed servants, O Christ our God, and unto you I ascribe all glory: to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Prayer for a Child Who Has Died
God of all mystery, whose ways are beyond understanding, lead us, who grieve at this untimely death, to a new and deeper faith in your love, which brought your only Son Jesus through death into resurrection life. May _____ take his place among your sweet angels, and live in peace and happiness forever in the shining light of your blessed kingdom.
Look with pity on the suffering of this family in their loss. Sustain them in their anguish; and into the darkness of their grief bring the light of your love. This we pray in Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Prayer at the Death of a Friend or Loved One
Lord God, creator of all, you have made us creatures of this earth but have also promised us a share in life eternal: receive our thanks and praise that, through the passion and death of Christ, your child ________ , our brother/sister, whom we commend into your hands today, shares with your saints in the joy of heaven, where there is neither sorrow nor pain, but life everlasting. Alleluia.
Amen.
Prayer for a Grieving Family
Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You pursue us with untiring love and dispel the shadow of death with the bright dawn of light. Comfort Your family in their loss and sorrow. Be our refuge and our strength, O Lord, and lift us from the depths of grief into the peace and light of Your Presence.
Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by dying has destroyed our death, and by rising, restored our life. Enable us therefore to press on toward him, so that, after our earthly course is run, He may reunite us with those we love, when every tear will be wiped away. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
For the Departed
We give back to you, O God, those whom you gave to us. You did not lose them when you gave them to us, and we do not lose them by their return to you. Your dear Son has taught us that life is eternal and love cannot die. So death is only an horizon, and an horizon is only the limit of our sight.
Open our eyes to see more clearly, and draw us closer to you that we may know that we are nearer to our loved ones, who are with you. You have told us that you are preparing a place for us; prepare us also for that happy place, that where you are we may also be always, O dear Lord of life and death.
Amen.
For Those Who Mourn
Almighty Holy Spirit of God, bringer of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, I pray, with all those who mourn , that case every care upon you, they may know the consolation of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
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