Friday, December 2, 2011

Prayer For The Dying

Prayer for the Dying
Dear heavenly father, With heavy hearts we come to you. You are Almighty Creator God: holy and full of grace and love. Our hearts are heavy because of a life that is leaving us. Death engulfs us Lord. Fear is waiting to take us down. Thank you Father, that because of Jesus, you know our pain and sorrow intimately. Thank you that Jesus know the way through this dark shadow. Take the hand of our sister/brother and make Yourself known. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Keep that which is Your own and take it into eternity to be with you. In Jesus, death is but a shadow, Jesus has swallowed up its sorrows and pain. Thank you Jesus for the cross. Thank You Jesus for the resurrection. Lord, we are before you, confessing that you are Lord of all : the gate keeper to eternal life. Your grace and love abound even as our sins seems ever increasing. Take our hands Lord and lead us through. We lay our fears at your feet. Your promise is that you and you alone will come to take us home.

As it says in Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valleh of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me"

Thank you for the comfort we find in your presence. Through the Holy Spirit we know your presence is with us. Send us your peace Lord, the peace that passes all understanding. Don't let us waiver and doubt. Give us a faith that is everlasting. We release our lives into your hands. As we wait and watch, we know Lord that none of us will escape this journey through death. Teach us how to embrace it with faith. Give us strength to hold up those who are stepping closer to seeing your face to face. Take away the fear in the heart of our loved one who will soon see you.

Let them find peace in your grace, comfort in your love and strength in your mighty power over death. Comfort us as our grief seems to over power us.

You are good, just, righteous and loving Father. Don't let us grow bitter in this shadow of death. But pierce our hearts with a joy that we can not fathom and understand. A joy that is above all that is corrupted here on a mourning that holds joy on the other side. You are conqueror of all and so we trust you.

We trust you will do what is right , what is loving, whether in death or in life. Your will is accomplished and you are sovereign. May we know your presence Lord. Keep us ever aware of your loving hand guiding us through all things. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen