15 Prayers for Grief and the Heart Heavy with Loss

Whether it's sudden and unexpected or a wave of pain from past loss, grief can leave us at a loss for words. Our minds are spinning and focusing on current tasks seems impossible. When prayer seems like the last thing you can do, it is the first thing you should do. 

Prayer lifts the burden of sorrow and allows us an opportunity to draw upon God's strength and comfort. Words can be hard to find when you're drowning in grief, and the pain and sorrow of loss. Borrow these prayers for grief when you need the God of all Comfort to reach down and lead you through it. Honest prayers allow us to open our hearts to God and share our fears, doubts, and questions. Taking our grief to God focuses our minds on His truths and promises.

When you are feeling deep loss and unsure of what to pray, Scripture and the prayers of others can help inspire your own heartfelt conversation with God. Read through the prayers for grief below and ask God to speak comfort into your time of loss and mourning. Bring your mourning and loss to God and experience His presence, peace, strength, and hope.

A Prayer for Comfort in Grief

Dear God, in this time of sorrow and loss, I turn to you for strength and comfort. Please wrap your loving arms around me and grant me the peace that surpasses all understanding. Help me find solace in the memories of my loved one, and guide me through this difficult journey of grief. Amen.

For Healing

Heavenly Father, as I navigate the depths of grief, I ask for your healing touch. Mend the brokenness in my heart and bring light to my darkness. Help me find the strength to move forward while cherishing the love and memories that will forever remain. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

For Hope

God of hope, in the midst of my grief, I cling to the hope that one day I will be reunited with my loved one in your eternal presence. Grant me the faith to believe in the promise of everlasting life and the courage to face each day with hope in my heart. Amen.

A Prayer for Those in Mourning 

Dear Lord, In the depths of our hearts, we carry the weight of sadness and the ache of mourning. We acknowledge these emotions for they are a testament to the love we held for those we have lost and the pain of their absence in our lives.

Help us, dear God, to embrace our sadness without guilt or shame. Grant us the wisdom to understand that grief is a natural and necessary part of the human experience. In our mourning, may we find strength in our memories, solace in our tears, and comfort in the support of those who walk this journey with us.

Lord, we also pray for the promise of joy in the morning. We trust in your unfailing love and the hope of new beginnings. Help us recognize the small glimmers of light amid the darkness, the moments of peace amidst the pain. Guide us on the path to healing so that as the dawn breaks, we may find joy once more. May our hearts be open to the beauty of life, even as we remember those who are no longer with us. In the name of your boundless love and grace, we pray. Amen.

Prayer for the Loss of a Loved One

Lord, I come before you with a heavy heart, overwhelmed by the loss of my dear [loved one's name]. I thank you for the precious gift of their life, for the love and joy they brought into my life, and for the cherished memories we created together. Grant us the grace to remember and celebrate the life of [loved one's name], and may their legacy of faith and love continue to inspire and guide us.  

Lord, give us the faith to see beyond the pain and sorrow, and help us find peace in the midst of our grief. May your presence be a source of comfort and healing as we mourn our loss.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

A Prayer for When Grief Makes Praying Hard

“Jesus, my pain is so deep. My anger is fierce, my fear is crippling. And then in the midst of all of these emotions, numbness sets in. I struggle to know how to pray or where to begin! So I’m going to remind myself of truth. I know you are here with me in my grief. 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 bear it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.” (by Kimberly Carroll)

A Prayer for What Breaks Your Heart

Father God, thank You for the way You tenderly minister to the shattered places in my heart. I’m so grateful You are able to use every heartbreak in my life for good. I am choosing to believe today that You are leading me to a place of strength and victory. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (by Lysa TerKeurst)

A Prayer for Grief: For Ourselves

Father, Thank you that you are the “source of all comfort,” like it says in 1 Corinthians 1:3. I ask for your comfort to overwhelm me right now. I am not doing okay. My heart is sad, and I don’t know what to do about it, except for coming to you right now. Help me process what I am going through, and not just sweep my feelings under the rug. I’m not good at this, so I don’t know what to do next. Help me reach out to others if I need to. Help me trust that you will be with me every moment I am going through this. I am grateful that this will not last forever, and that one day you will make all things right. Help me fix my eyes on you, and cling to you during this time. Thank you, that you meet me right where I am. Amen. (by Becky Weber)

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 near to us always. I lift up anyone who is struggling with grief right now. Help them know that you are close, and that you will heal their broken heart. Like it says in Psalms 42:11, help them know that they can put their “hope in God.” You will not fail them. Help them believe that about you. Surround them with people who can help them through this time, and help them to be vulnerable, so they can process what they are going through. Give us eyes to see others who might be grieving, and direct us in how to best minister to them. Lord, help us remember that you know exactly what we go through when we grieve, because you have been through it yourself. You understand and can relate to us. We place those we know who are grieving into your loving hands because you know exactly what they need. Amen.(by Becky Weber)

A Prayer for Comfort When You're Hurting

Dear God, Some days feel too hard. We’re hurting. Struggling. Fighting fear and worry at every turn. Thank you in the midst of it all, you haven’t left us to fend for ourselves. Forgive us for doubting you are there. Forgive us for thinking you’ve forgotten. Forgive us for believing we somehow know the better way.

You are fully trustworthy. You are All-Powerful. You are Able. You are Lord over every situation no matter how difficult it may seem. You are Healer and will never waste the grief we carry today. You will use all things for good in some way. Anything is possible with you. Nothing is too difficult for you.

We pray for those who grieve today. We ask for your comfort to surround those who weep. We pray for the peace of your presence to cover our minds and thoughts, as you remind us, the enemy can never steal us out of your hands. He never has the final say over our lives. We are kept safe in your presence forever, whether in life or in death.

We thank you that your ways are higher than our ways and your thoughts are bigger than our thoughts. 

We lay it all down at your feet, every burden, every care. Believing that is the safest place for it to be.

We love you, Lord, we need your fresh grace.

In the Powerful Name of Jesus, Amen. (by Debbie McDaniel)

A Prayer for Those in Grief

Lord, you know those who are hurting right now. We know you care because you are our Heavenly Father. God, I thank you for giving us comfort when we hurt. Help us remember we are not alone as we grieve. Help us cling to You when we feel despair and we miss those we have lost. Father, show us how to take refuge in You when our hearts are shattered. We know you understand. So we lift up each person reading this right now. Comfort them. We pray this in Your Son’s precious and Holy name. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (by Anne Peterson)

A Prayer for Your Grieving Friend

Gracious and Loving Father, I pray for my friend who is grieving the loss of their loved one. You know the intimate details of how deeply they are hurting, how painful the sorrow is, and what they need each day. I ask that you bring them comfort and strength, fulfilling the promise that you are near to the brokenhearted. Surround them, oh Lord, with a community of people who will show them love, compassion, and care. I ask that you would help them in their darkest moments to cling to you. Help them to draw near to you as they are grieving. I ask that they will find hope and healing in the coming months and years. Lord, keep watch over them and their family who are grieving.

In Jesus’ name, Amen. (by Pamela Palmer)

A Prayer for God to Fill the Emptiness

I find myself crying out to you day and night. You calm my soul even as I turn my heart to you. May I long for you as the deer longs for streams of water. May I thirst for you even as the tears flood my face (Psalm 42:1-3).

I know you are my refuge and strength and that you always stand ready to help in times just like this. I will choose not to fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble. Let the oceans roar and foam and the mountains tremble as the waters surge! (Psalm 46:1-3) And as the world chaotically moves 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 rescuer, my cup-filler. 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 grief and my exhaustion. Take it and renew me. Amen. (by Dena Johnson)

He Weeps For You

Jesus, tears come without warning. I understand they are not a sign of weakness, but a demonstration of the depth of love I have for this person. The thought that You weep with me is beautiful, for Your tears are a demonstration of Your love for me. Thank You so much for that beautiful gift in this time of sorrow. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. (by Suzanne Eller)

A Prayer for When You Need God's Comfort and Encouragement

Father of mercies, comfort and strengthen my heart today. You know my affliction. Thank you for the peace that comes from knowing you are intimately acquainted with my deepest struggles and doubts. Thank you for your healing presence.

You are the God of all comfort. Help me keep my heart open to your Holy Spirit today. Bring your peace and love into my life. Remind me of the joy of my salvation and give me the strength to keep trusting you. Even in my difficult circumstances, you are in control, and you are working for my good. Comfort me today.

Lord, thank you for the comfort I find in the knowledge that you know all my troubles. Make me aware of the affliction and trouble of those around me, that I might serve to bring encouragement to them today. In Jesus' name, Amen. (by Betsy de Cruz)

Bible Verse Reminders for The Grieving Heart

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." -Psalm 34:18

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." -Psalm 147:3

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." -Matt. 5:4

"He will turn your mourning into dancing." Psalm 30:11-12

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we receive from God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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