Grief is something that we all are going to experience during this lifetime. Whether it is the loss of a person, a job, an opportunity, or a painful experience, grief will be a natural reaction to one of these things happening. In an ideal world, we would all be able to process grief in a healthy way, but that usually isn’t the case. Grief can be an overwhelming feeling. It is uncomfortable which makes it easier to try to avoid dealing with it. It can be especially hard to know how to comfort a person who is grieving. Whether we are the ones grieving, or it is someone close to us, it’s helpful to learn how to deal with it or be there in a comforting way for those who are grieving around us.
There are a couple of things that we can do. For those that are around us, it can be helpful to send a card, to let them know you are there for them, or bring them a meal. If we are going through a time of personal grief, it can be helpful for us to open up to a friend or loved one, go see a counselor, or open up the Bible and find some verses that are comforting to our soul. The worst thing we can do is not deal with it. It is important that we move through grief, not stay there forever.
One other specific way that we can deal with grief is through prayer. Whether it is praying for our own struggle with grief, or praying for those around us who are grieving, prayer is a healthy way to deal with it.
What does a prayer for grief look like?
If you look throughout the Bible, you will find places where people just like us have struggled with grief. Many of the Psalms were written out of a state of grief. They would talk to God, and tell Him how they were doing. They were reminded who their God was, and found comfort in him. They were essentially praying.
Let’s look at how we can lift up a prayer for grief for ourselves and others who are going through a period of pain.
[SIZE=6]Comforting Scriptures for Grief[/SIZE]
As mentioned before, if we want to know what a prayer for grief looks like, we can look at Scripture. Not only can we see how to pray, but these verses can provide us with comfort while we grieve.
Here are some comforting Scriptures for our time of grief:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” - Psalms 34:18
“The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer.” - Psalms 6:9
“I weep with sorrow; encourage me by your word.” - Psalms 119:28
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” - 2 Corinthians 1:4
“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!” - Psalms 42:11
“Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.” - Lamentations 3:32
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” - Psalms 56:8
“God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” - Matthew 5:4
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” - Revelation 21:4
These verses can provide such comfort in a time of grieving. Seeing the raw emotion in these verses helps us know we can be completely real and honest with God. When we are praying, we are connected to him, and drawing closer to him, and that’s right where He wants us to be.
[SIZE=6]A Prayer for Grief: For Ourselves[/SIZE]
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.
[SIZE=6]A Prayer for Grief: For Others[/SIZE]
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.
[SIZE=6]What to Say to Someone Who Is Grieving[/SIZE]
When we know someone who is grieving, it can be hard to know what to say that would be helpful. It is a sensitive and emotional time for those going through it, so we want to be careful with the words that we use.
Here are some things that we can say to someone who is grieving:
“It’s okay to feel all the feelings.”
I am here for you.”
“I am grieving with you.”
“I am just going to sit with you, be present, and listen if you want to talk.”
“It’s okay to not be okay.”
“I am bringing dinner, what would you like?”
“I don’t know the right thing to say, but I am sorry, and I love you.”
Grieving will probably be one of the hardest things that we have to go through, and one of the hardest things we will have to see others go through. We can be confident though, in the fact that we have prayer to help us and others through it. We can also find assurance that the Lord is always with us and that the grief will not last forever. It is just a matter of allowing ourselves to feel it as we let the Lord in so he can heal us.