A Prayer for Those Who Are Grieving

When I am emotionally overwhelmed by a loss, I long to lean into the everlasting arms of my Heavenly Father more than ever. He is the greatest Comforter, and He knows exactly what I’m feeling and what I need even when I can’t express it myself.

Sometimes, though, figuring out how to express what I’m feeling through prayer helps my heart to heal. Words are powerful things, and finding the right ones to tell God about my sorrow can help me heal. Recently, many people I care about have gone through seasons of loss. These losses come in many different forms.

• Loss of a relationship
• Loss of an unborn child
• Loss of health
• Loss of a job
• Loss of a loved one

All losses, big and small, can leave us with a heavy, lingering sense of loss—a grief that stays long after other people have forgotten. But God never forgets, and we can always go to Him for comfort and healing.

Lately, I have found it difficult to know how to pray for my friends going through these times of grief, and I have turned to the Every Moment Holy books of prayers multiple times to help me find the words. I thought I would include this prayer for any who want help praying for loved ones in seasons of grief and sorrow.

For A Friend or One Who Grieves

O Christ,
I am at such a loss.

I want to help, 
but I don’t know what to do,
or what to say.
I don’t know how to act in light
of everything that’s changed.

But I know this: I love my friend.
And I do not want to let this brooding 
awkwardness lead me to withdraw until
over time my avoidance becomes a pattern
that could leave us stranded on opposite
sides of an emotional chasm.

Give me wisdom, grace, and empathy,
O Lord, to simply walk beside, to let
my friend lead as they learn to navigate this 
grief, and not to ever in arrogance believe
that I can somehow set them straight, or make
it right, or give advice they do not need from me. 

Teach me how to set aside my own discomfort, 
so that I might compassionately perceive, in
the context of their specific loss and their 
specific need, what true encouragement 
and helpfulness would mean.

Above all, let me learn to remain present 
in their life, not forcing them to speak 
of loss, but being ever ready to listen
when they want to share their tears, to steward
their story—however much they choose to
entrust to me—and so let me serve my dear
friend well by a close and constant willingness
to bear a small part of their long burden.

Amen.

I hope this prayer can be a help and encouragement to you as you learn to come alongside loved ones who need a friend during times of grief. If you are dealing with your own grief right now and can’t quite find the words to pray, or if you would like more prayers for other areas of life and loss, I encourage you to reference the Every Moment Holy volumes.

What tools have helped you come alongside a friend who is grieving?

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​​The Heart That Heals: Healing Our Brokenness Through the Promises of God

​The Heart That Heals is centered around Psalm 46:10a, Be still, and know that I am God. It’s a book about healing our brokenness. It's about doing the next thing, and sometimes, the next thing is to be still, and know that He is God. This book is full of Scripture and practical application. Each chapter will challenge you to reflect, apply, pray, meditate on and memorize Scripture. It’s your homework but in a good way.

​Please don’t think you’re alone. You are not! Thousands of women just like you have used these biblical principles to heal their brokenness. You have not come here by accident. You've found this place today for a reason and you belong here!

​If you and I were Pen Pals, The Heart That Heals is the letter I would write to you if you’d lost a child, a husband, a best friend, or a sister. It’s the kind of letter I would seal with a heart-shaped sticker that says, “God Loves You,” you know, that kind of sticker you used to get in Sunday school. You would read my letter and you would know. Yes, you would know, He truly does love me! He loves me in the midst of this storm. ​

“Our choices have consequences. The pathway we walk has a destination. I want you to make good choices so that the consequences will be good. I want your destination to be one that glorifies God. If you’re in a broken place, it may be difficult to make good choices. Is your pathway littered with the debris of brokenness? I want to help you get past all that and learn to be still, and know that He is God.” —from the Prologue

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