The loss of a loved one, whether sudden or anticipated, can be a shocking and desperate time. Losing someone you love is a long and winding journey. Grieving is unpredictable and he feels extremely lonely. It is important in times of grief and sadness to remember the truth of God’s love and faithfulness.
We have selected some of our most read prayers that can offer you comfort and peace when you lose a loved one. Cry out to God in stillness, share your emotions, and let God’s peace help you through this time of loss.
A prayer of consolation in loss
I cry for those of us left behind, for the lonely ones with holes in our hearts. I ask you to comfort us, give us peace, give us back hope and fill us with love, family and belonging. In the depths of loss, find us with yourself.
I cry for the legacy this loved one leaves behind, for the ways the world has been made different by his presence, for the memories that become both more beautiful and more painful on this side of death. And I pray that the work you have accomplished in this extraordinary lifetime will grow deeper, wider and stronger in days to come, uninhibited by an opponent weak as death. –Gregory Coles
It can often be hard to trust God when life hurts so much. For help on how to pray during this time, Download our FREE 30-Day Trusting God When Life Hurts Prayer Guide.
A prayer for when you suffer the loss of a loved one
My heart feels like thousands of knives are going through it. I am tired, exhausted and so sad. Please help! Hear my prayers. Support me and my family. Give us strength. Be. Be persistent in your love. Carry us through this heartache. Sustain us. Give us joy and hope. – Lisa Apelo
A Prayer for the Loss of a Friend
Today Father, as I grieve for the loss of my friend, I find comfort in the fact that You also grieve for him. You have seen soul after soul fall prey to the lies of the enemy.
Thank you, Lord, for opening my ears to Your words, my eyes to Your truths and my heart to Your message. Thank you for allowing me to understand what truly awaits those who decide not to come. Thank you for those who have sought me out to share the glorious news of eternal life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Father, forgive us for being selfish with your message of hope. Open our eyes to see the people of this world through Your eyes, so that we move forward with urgency, carrying Your Banner of Hope, until the whole world listens. We ask these things in the Sweet Name of Jesus, Amen. – Amy Duncan
A prayer for when pain makes prayer difficult
Jesus, my pain is so deep. My anger is fierce, my fear is paralyzing. And then, in the midst of all these emotions, numbness sets in. I struggle to know how to pray or where to start! So I’m going to remind myself of the truth. I know you are here with me in my pain. I know you are mending the brokenness in ways I can’t always see. Lord, hold me in your arms, take this pain and help me to bear it. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
A prayer of comfort when you are grieving
Father, grant me the joy of the gospel; help me to rejoice in Christ even when I am grieving. Wrap me in the peace and comfort that only you can provide. As the days turn into months, may this burden lessen. As the months turn into years, use me to encourage and bless someone else who must walk a similar path. Help me point them to you as the God of all comfort. I know that you are always with me and that your love never ceases. Help me find refuge in you and nowhere else. –Christina Fox
A prayer for God to fill the void
I find myself crying out to you day and night. You calm my soul even when I turn my heart to you. May I yearn for you as the deer longs for streams of water. May I thirst for you even as tears stream down my face (Psalm 42:1-3).
I know that you are my refuge and strength and that you are always ready to help in times like this. I will choose not to fear when earthquakes come and mountains crumble. Let the oceans roar and foam and the mountains tremble as the waters churn! (Psalm 46:1-3) And while the world moves chaotically around me, I will rest in you. I will choose to be still and know that you are God (Psalm 46:10).
Father, I am empty. But you are my savior, my full glass. You are the joy of my heart, my only hope. I come to you asking for more, more of your power, more of your strength, more of your renewal. Take my heartaches and pains. Take my sorrow and my exhaustion. Take it and renew me. Amen. Dena Johnson
For Jesus to comfort you
Jesus, you know what it is to feel that God has abandoned you. You know pain and loss better than anyone. Come to us now and let us feel your presence. We know that you are close to the brokenhearted and that you comfort those who mourn (Psalm 34:18). Help us to let you into our pain, to give you our anger and doubt. Jesus, take us out of the void. In your name, Amen.
A prayer for when you feel alone
Dear God, thank you that you see us right where we are, in the midst of our pain and struggle, in the midst of our desert land. Thank you because you have not forgotten us and never will. Forgive us for not trusting you, for doubting your goodness, or for not believing that you are really there. We choose to set our eyes on you today. We choose joy and peace when the whispered lies come and say we shouldn’t have joy and peace. Thank you because you take care of us and your love for us is so great.
We confess our need for you. Fill us anew with your Spirit, renew our hearts and minds in your truth. We ask for your hope and comfort to continue to heal our hearts where they have been broken. Give us the courage to face another day, knowing that with you before and behind us, we have nothing to fear. In the name of Jesus, amen. – Debbie McDaniel
For the presence and comfort of God
Jesus, you know what it is to feel that God has abandoned you. You know pain and loss better than anyone. Come to us now and let us feel your presence. We know that you are close to the brokenhearted and that you comfort those who mourn (Psalm 34:18). Help us to let you into our pain, to give you our anger and doubt. Jesus, take us out of the void. In your name, Amen. –Katie Harmon
A prayer for the sting of death
Dear Lord, we will face many frightening events throughout this life, but let us never forget that the final victory belongs to you. Through your sacrifice, death has been defeated. As we continue to walk in your truth, help us to set our eyes on Heavenly things. Amen.
Prayer for the hope of heaven after this life
Jesus, when it was time for you to comfort your disciples, you told them about the home you were preparing for them. in the sky. Thank you for knowing that we need the assurance that this life is not the end, and the promise that _________ will have eternity in heaven with you. For the pain and suffering he must endure now, ease his mind and help him understand the truth that he will be with you and that heaven will be his home forever.
Strengthen him with the knowledge that it will be you who will wipe away all his tears, and that there will be no more death or crying or crying or pain. Though he cannot see him now and it is beyond our human capacities to comprehend, give him faith to continue to believe in your promise to help sustain him every moment of this journey. Amen. – Lisa Samara
Prayer for the strength of a friend
Merciful God, my heart aches for my friend, but I am also deeply saddened for her family and friends who are deeply affected by the enormity of this heartbreaking situation. As these family members go through their own pain and suffering, remind them that you, too, are close by to comfort them. When they feel overwhelmed with sadness and fear, give them the reminder that you don’t sleep, you don’t even take a nap; instead, it is always alert and available to give them the strength they need. You are the only true source of healing and recovery. As they provide practical care and serve faithfully, please strengthen them when they are discouraged. As they lift their eyes to you, remind them of your love and that the powerful presence of your Spirit is available to them every moment of every day. Amen. – Lisa Samara
A prayer for when you have lost everything
Lord, I’ll be honest: I feel like everything good has been taken away from me. And I feel like you’ve let it happen. Can I admit that to you? Thank you for being big enough to handle all my fears, anger, and uncertainties. Lord, thank you for this truth: I am afflicted in every way, but not broken, perplexed, but not desperate, struck down, but not destroyed. Lord help me, give me Your Spirit, help me to know Your goodness even in the midst of this pain. Help me out of this hole, Lord, and onto solid ground. Thank you God for never leaving me. Help me to have only hope in You. In the name of Jesus, amen.
From pain to joy
Dear Lord, thank you that there is healing in your presence. I call on Your Name now, Jesus, and I invite the Holy Spirit to reach out and touch me with Your healing balm. I release my pain to you and ask you to fill every void in my heart with your peace and love. Thank you for my loved one’s life on earth and for the time I spent with them. I give them to you, entrusting you to take care of them for all eternity, knowing that I will see them again in your time. I choose to praise you at all times. Thank you for healing my heart. I love you jesus. In Your Holy Name, Amen. – Margaret D. Mitchell
For the love and peace of God
Dear Lord, You alone are the Comforter. Provide a season of comfort in the midst of deep sadness, to hearts that suffer. Hold them, Father. Please wrap your loving arms around them so they know they are not alone. You are the one who brings peace. We need you, Lord. Please cover the pain with Your faithful and peaceful presence, Jesus. In your name we pray, Amen. –Courtney Stanford
Prayer for those with a broken heart
I know you tell us that you are close to the brokenhearted, but I don’t feel you. I feel lost, hopeless, abandoned. My spirit is broken, but I don’t feel like you’re rescuing me. I need you. I need you to come closer. I need you to lift my spirit, to rescue me. I need you to take my pain and give me a spirit of joy. – Dena Johnson
Jehovah is near to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18
Prayer for eyes fixed on Jesus
It’s so easy to get distracted, to focus on the many losses I’ve experienced. Forgive me. Help me put my…