BEYOND DEATH
Prayers for Those who are grieving
Copyright © 2022 by Linda Crowhurst. All
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LINDA CROWHURST
Beyond Death
When a loved one dies you have to go beyond death and enter a period of
grief. You may feel it will overwhelm you. It may feel all consuming, an
unbearable pain of loss that cannot be restored. This may feel stark, bleak
and empty of goodness, full of deep emotion, pain and sorrow.
Memories from way back may surface. A deep longing for what was and is
now impossible to get back, may arise and derail you in your life. You may
find yourself feeling bad about unresolved issues or immerse yourself in
guilt that you did not do something for or with the person, that you now
feel you should have done. Or perhaps you omitted to say something or
ask something you wanted to know, that now feels overwhelmingly
important, yet is too late.
This is a time of strong emotion, complex reactions, total heartbreak and
yet it is also a time to heal, to find new ways of being and doing things,
even perhaps finding that new unexpected energy can be released and a
new strength of purpose eventually found. It may bring a sense of urgency,
to really live your own life more fully and with greater awareness and
aliveness and bring a sense of real gratitude for life itself.
The way forward may not feel straight. You may even feel like a boat that is
becalmed or being battered, in troubled seas that you cannot escape from,
by the waves of emotion that crash over you.
It is impossibly hard to go forward, feeling the loss of the one you love.
Now is the time to keep turning to God and ask for His aid. For now is the
time to look with spiritual eyes and see the person in a new way, still close,
yet invisible to the naked eye. Yet turn your gaze inward and upward and
reach out in prayerful hope. When you pray, ask that they pray with you
and for you.
It may take time to be able to relate to your loved one in this way. The
overwhelming physical loss may reduce your spiritual awareness
temporarily.
Perhaps nature can help you. Looking up, seeing the vast sky above you,
watching the birds soar on the thermals, watching a twinkling star can
touch your heart with tender beauty. Watching the waves break on the
beach, smelling the fresh sea air, tasting the salty tang on your lips, hearing
the wild gulls cry can bring solace. Or maybe stillness or a lighted candle
can fill you with a sense of peace and give you time to steady yourself in
your new reality.
Lord, help us not to fear death.
But rather trust in Your love for us,
That lifts us, through grace,
Into the Heart of Love
And oneness forever,
With the Trinity.
Amen
.
Whatever restores your wounded spirit with a sense of loveliness, beauty,
peace, hope, let it be so. Healing takes time, is multi-level. There is no right
or wrong way to grieve. Your world has become unbalanced by your loss
and it will take time to adjust to and find a new rhythm.
Yet, if you can remember that even though they are no longer with you in a
physical sense, still they could not be closer to you; for they are held in the
vast, unquantifiable Love of God, which surrounds you too, perhaps you
can then find a new way forward. For how can they be anywhere but near,
as God Himself is?
What awesome power of Love is expressed in the moment of death and
resurrection, held in the Power of the Holy Spirit, Willed by the Father who
is Love.
When death comes to the ones we
love,
Lord comfort us in our loss,
Console us in our grief
Give us the strength to carry on.
We ask in faith.
Amen
The funeral is a time where prayer can really help you get through. The
funeral is a time of acknowledgment of the person you love and can
hopefully be a space for remembering and honoring the life of the one we
love. It may be a great comfort and consolation, even upliftment within the
sadness.
However it is also a place where we may be painfully confronted with our
horror of death, our distress at the burial or cremation; the recognition and
finality of the service can also be devastating. The sense that the person is
no longer there may be overwhelming. It may help if you can hold on to
the spiritual awareness that your loved one is with God and God is as close
as can be, though with emotions being raw thus may not be easily sensed.
It may be of some comfort if you can see the burial as a resting place for
the body, the cremation as a form of purification and liberation.
The Spirit is always entwined in love; your love and God’s Love.
The funeral, although a difficult time, can also help to express your grief
and is a necessary part of the process and ritual surrounding death. It can
be an important pathway to acceptance, however painful.
The Funeral
Remember
This is not goodbye.
This is not the end.
There is only Love.
There is only Light.
It cannot be goodbye,
Not if you look with spiritual eyes.
Help me to cope, Lord, with what feels
Beyond my strength.
Hold me fast
And keep me straight,
As I go through this day of grief.
Comfort me
With the Peace that passeth all understanding.
May it touch me.
May it fill me.
May it bless me.
May it comfort me.
May it steady me.
Amen
Prayers for strength to
cope:
Lord we thank you
For preparing the perfect place
For each of us,
To dwell with you eternally.
May we find that peace that passeth all understanding,
That comes from knowing this is so.
May it flood our hearts,
Our minds,
Our bodies,
Our spirits
And therein dwell
Forever reassured.
Amen
Prayers for strength to
cope:
The Word of God is alive with Light and Truth. It speaks to our souls.
It glistens with Spirit. It brings a strength, comfort and knowing that
what it says is so.
When loss and bereavement comes upon us, the Word of God can
bring great comfort, wisdom, understanding and personal message
to the searching soul.
For the person lost in grief, there may be a great need for certainty,
reassurance, comfort, hope, wisdom. Turning to the Bible and the
writings of the Great Saints or other Spiritual writers whom you trust
and relate to, can offer much needed solace.
Here are a few suggestions, which may shine a light in the darkness
of loss and grief:
Readings That May Bring
Comfort
Ecclesiastes 3
These beautiful words reassure us that there is a
time for everything.
Isaiah 41
Is a reassurance that God has chosen us, therefore we
need not be afraid.
Psalm 46
Beautiful words concerning God being with us always,
a refuge and strength.
Psalm 91 vs 14-16
A promise that God is with us, that He protects
whoever knows His name and will show them
how He saves.
Psalm 139
This is a beautiful reassuring psalm for anyone facing
death, that reaffirms to us that our whole life and
being has meaning, that God created every cell of our
body with intent. Most moving is the affirmation that
however dark it appears around us, it is bright as day
with God. A sure promise of safety through death.
Readings That May Bring
Comfort
Matthew 5:1-10
The Beatitudes lift us into the Love of God and
reassure us that we will be comforted in our mourning.
Matthew 11P 28-30
Christ reassures us that we can come to Him for rest
and He can carry our burdens.
John 1:5
There is great strength, in knowing that God is our
Light, a light that darkness cannot overcome.
John 7:37-39
This is a hopeful reading about Jesus giving us Living
Water to drink so that we will never thirst, for we will
have Eternal Life.
John 10:27
This a comfort and a reassurance, for it concerns
Christ giving us Eternal Life.
Readings That May Bring
Comfort
John 14: 1-7
This is a gospel reading affirming that God has
prepared a special place for each of us, once we die, in
God’s House. It is a beautiful, uplifting passage
reassuring us of God’s intent that we will be with Him
forever.
John 14:6
Here is Jesus powerful statement where he tells
us absolutely that He is the Way.
John 14: 27 My Peace
This is a wonderful reading that speaks directly to us
of the Peace that the Lord that gives to us. There is no
need for fear.
Ephesians 1:3-11
Here we are assured that God has chosen us and
blessed us.
Ephesians 3:14-21
These are beautiful words of power and protection,
calling on the Lord to help us grow strong in Him till
we are filled with utter fullness of God.
Readings That May Bring
Comfort
When we have lost someone, we are very much in need of God, to hold on
to. Even when we have Faith in an afterlife with God, still there is the very
real loss of physical presence in the world, for the person is no longer
physically with you.
At these times we need to feel God’s strength carrying us, His Light guiding
us. Especially when newly bereaved, we may not know what to do or what
to say. We may be distraught, in shock or a deep state of sadness. At these
times, we need Him most of all, to be a pillar of strength and wisdom for us
and with us. We may seek information, reassurance guidance from others.
We may want to know how to grieve, what to do, what to expect, how to
proceed.
We can seek guidance, blessings and words of comfort from the Bible or
other sacred readings.
You can know if a word is of God because it will be authentic and true.
It will resonate deep within you It will always bring a sense of goodness,
light and wonder into being, that keeps you safe and uplifts your spirit. This
is a time to accept help from others who understand something of what
you are going through and can help carry you through it.
Calling On God For
Support
With God, how far can you get above suffering,
I ask?
How high can you get above pain?
God answers:
As far as the sky and as near as the breath,
You can enter that Peace
of Loving Transcendent Mystery
And there find a Peace beyond all knowing.
How wide is that Peace, I ask?
Why, it is as vast as the oceans
And way beyond all the stars
That sparkle through the Universe.
It is as huge as the sea is to a raindrop.
It is as comforting as an endless tender hug.
It is as gentle as a fleecy coat
of the finest spun lambswool.
It is always and everywhere
Forever sparkling to bless you.
Amen
Calling On God For
Support
What can I do
When all is taken from me,
Even hope?
I can wait.
I can trust.
I can remain open
To goodness
And a perfect way forward,
Within the darkness,
Set aside only for me,
That will ignite a tiny flicker of light
In my heart
And set me surely on a new path
forward.
Amen
Calling On God For
Support
When loss seeks to unhinge us
And totally bewilder and confuse us,
When we forget to remember who we truly are,
When the way ahead is unclear
And the present is too painful to cope with,
Lord come to us and hold us,
Comfort and console us
Bless us with unimagined gifts
Touch our lives
And restore us,
So that we can once more see
Our true worth and beauty,
Shining in the world again.
Amen
Calling On God For
Support
Open our hearts Lord to receive You totally.
Open our minds to know you in fullness.
Heal all hurts that we may feel safe again.
Restore our spirits
Remove all loss of faith and trust.
Banish all that harms us Lord.
Help us in our distress,
In the name of Jesus Christ
In the name of God our Father
In the name of the Holy Spirit!
In the name of all the HolyThree,
May it be so!
Amen
Calling On God For
Support
Lord, lead us towards You
That we might find the truth of Your being
With us,
Precious,
Indescribable,
Present.
Lead us into the very Heart of Love
And there fill us with Your deepest peace,
Not of this world,
Which can only be a grace from God,
Especially in this time of deepest grief.
Amen
Calling On God For
Support
Grief continues long after the funeral service.
Bereavement is heart achingly sad and can feel very
lonely and unending.
Initial support and understanding from others may
wain in time.
Therefore put your trust in God, in His consolation and
strength, to get you through each painful moment.
Look for His Light to guide you, for it is surely there.
Grief
Lord, we give thanks for.........
We thank you for her/his/their goodness.
We thank you for her/his/their kindness
We thank you for her/his/their inspiration.
We thank you for her/his/their love.
We give thanks and praise for her/his/their great faith
in You.
Help us to know with absolute certainty
That she/he/they are safely with You now,
surrounded by Angels,
Reunited and comforted by all the family and friends
who have gone before.
May we find blessings from knowing her/him/them
May we be comforted in our loss.
May we still feel her/him/them near
And thus be able to carry on,
Feeling her/his/their light still guiding us
Throughout our lives,
Praying for us all the while.
Amen
Grief
Lord help me know with absolute clarity
That the person I love is safe with you still
Held in an eternal moment of now
That cannot be lost
Nor torn away from existence
For it is the very essence of Your being
In which we are all forever held
And where spirits touch
In love
And embrace forever after.
Amen
Grief
They leave a trail of love in your heart when
they go,
Each one adding together to the many others
Who sing and dance and leave a path of
memories in your mind,
Till the whole is greater than the sum of the
parts.
Wrapped in a special golden energy
Their images dance within you
Flashes of kindness, sadness, special words
and deeds,
All meaningful, important somehow, precious,
Come back at unexpected moments,
Tip over into every day feelings,
Run riot with happiness and grief,
Blend your mood with loss and remembering,
Yet touch your life with an urgency
To live
To feel
To dance
To express
To be
Something,
Anything
Grief
More than what you have been.
Whilst there is still time
Live,
Laugh,
Love,
Be
Present,
Now
And recognise
The sacred space
That is your life
And always remember
How they have touched you
How they have helped you
How they have loved you too.
We remember them with kindness for it is
important to honour the dead
We remember them with tenderness for we
cared beyond imagining
We remember them with trepidation for we
have to face our losses
We remember them with boldness for it takes
courage remembering their pain
We remember them with sadness that they are
no longer here with us
We remember them with frustration that their
life was not longer
And we weep with gratitude
For their precious lives
For their tremendous personal strength
For their passion in life
For their compassion to others
We remember and give thanks
For who they were
And who they will always be
In our hearts.
Grief
Dear God,
Comfort us in our grief
Console us in our loss
Help us to hold on to our memories.
Remain close in our suffering.
Remind us of Your loving presence with us,
Especially when we are overwhelmed with
sadness.
Strengthen our knowledge
That You are holding the one we love, close to
You
Unite us in a new way
Connected always by love
For ever after.
In this way,
May we always feel them near
And give thanks for their life.
Amen
Grief
When you think of your loved ones, now
gone from the Earth, keep your heart in
prayer, keep your mind in trust.
May you still feel them near. May peace,
comfort, hope, blessings, be given to you.
A blessing is a sprinkling of love. It lifts,
transforms, heals, changes the energy,
lightens our spirits. It is utterly of God. We
are the messenger, God’s is the Power.
The People We have
Loved
We bless the people we have loved
No longer in the world
We hold each treasured memory up
For grace to bless and bind with love
We remember them with heart-felt sorrow
That they are no longer here
We bless each precious moment that they
lived
And rejoice for all they were;
The good, the bad, the sad, the hopeful
May their song sing out a blessing here
May they find peace beyond this life
May they comfort us, ever near
In thought and word
And heart-filled treasures
Of kindnesses along the way
Or special moments of inspiration,
A blessing for that day.
The People We have
Loved
We light a candle for all those in need.
We hold all we know, who are suffering, in our
hearts.
We hold all who have died before you, oh
Lord.
We remember each one, today.
We name them lovingly out loud to honour
their live's.
We think of their families and all who still
grieve.
We hold those who are suffering indescribably
in our hearts.
We hold, especially.........( name ) in our
prayers
And send out a powerful wave of love to touch
the world,
And every one in need of comfort, healing,
justice, love.
May our wave of love touch the whole world.
Amen
The People We have
Loved
We have to let you go with love
For you are in truth gone from the world
Yet not from our hearts.
We hold each precious memory of you
Each word
Each conversation
Each contact
Every special moment that we had.
Words cannot describe the sorrow of your lost
presence here in the world,
Yet still we see the glistening light of your
affect upon our lives,
In so many precious, subtle ways.
And still we know
Inside our hearts,
Your spirit lives
And we can feel the blessing of your love
Surrounding us forever more.
The People We have
Loved