10 Powerful Prayers of Peace After Death of Loved One

When I lost my dad to cancer it felt like the world came to a stop. For a long time, sadness tinged every day. Life would never be the same again without my beloved dad in it. I needed Jesus more than ever during that time of sorrow and pain. How do you find peace after death of a loved one?

If you can relate to those feelings, you have come to the right place. Heavy hearts are hard to carry during such a difficult time. Lives change when loved ones are welcomed to everlasting life in the arms of the Lord. Thankfully, our dear Lord gives us His tender love while we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

The ten following prayers and Bible passages are paired with action items. Action (especially doing good deeds for others) is important because sitting in a time of grief too long after the funeral service makes it harder to move forward.

My prayer is that offering a short prayer with these verses and action items helps you experience God’s mercy and fullness of peace in your time of loss.

Prayers After the Death of a Loved One
Prayers for Loved Ones of a Departed Soul
Comforting Bible Verses About Death
Scripture When Someone Dies
Prayers of Peace After Loss

Prayers After the Death of a Loved One

It flat-out hurts when we lose a loved one. Prayer makes all the difference in healing. When Dad died, words failed me. But the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we can only groan.

1. God Hears Our Groaning

Bible Verse: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27, ESV).

Those first days after we lose a loved one are the hardest. We’re still trying to come to our own understanding of life without them by our side. Words often fail us, but God’s boundless love never fails.

Prayer: Christ Jesus, my heart is broken. I think of her a hundred times each day. This feels like the darkest valley. I’m so thankful that she is experiencing eternal joy in Your loving care. Thank you for the promise of eternal life so that this goodbye is only temporary. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Keeping a journal is a bonus. It helps us express our grief and remember the wonderful human being that our loved one was. Start by writing your favorite memories that you have with your lost loved one. Don’t be surprised if you are smiling as you write.

2. Promise of Almighty God

Bible Verse: “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8, ESV).

The first and most important thing to know is that God’s promises never fail. Those who live for the Lord will see our Redeemer face to face upon death.

Prayer: Lord God, my heart is so sad at the loss of my loved one. I miss her presence and smile. Merciful God, thank you for the good life you gave her. Thank you for the blessing of her influence in my life. With her eternal rest, grant me the peace of mind knowing she is in a better place. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Action Item: Plants help in times of sorrow because they help keep our loved one’s memory alive. My dad loved hyacinths, so a dear friend gifted me with hyacinth bulbs at his funeral. I planted them in my garden and am reminded of Dad every time they bloom each spring. What plant or flower did your loved one like most? Plant one in a pot or your garden to keep their memory alive.

Prayers for Loved Ones of a Departed Soul

Our loved one is experiencing the peace of God firsthand. But we need prayers as we miss their presence. Here are some prayers to let God’s peace reign in your heart during this tender time.

3. Comfort for the Broken Hearted

Bible Verse: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, ESV).

This is one of the most comforting Bible verses when it comes to grief. The unexpected death of a loved one is accompanied by hard times of sorrow. But you do not grieve alone! The Son of the living God sits with you. May Christ give you His strength and comfort.

Prayer: Dear God, I need your comfort more than ever. Sorrow weighs heavy on my heart. You have faithfully answered prayer throughout my life. Hear my prayer and let your perpetual light shine in this darkness. Surround me with Your comfort and eternal peace. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Action Item: During times of grief, it helps to spend time with those who loved the one you lost. Call a family member or friend you know who is also grieving this loss and grab a cup of coffee with them. Talk about your lost loved one with that person. It provides more comfort and healing than you can imagine.

4. God is Your Strength

Bible Verse: “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26, ESV).

I felt as if my strength had dried up after Dad died. Even the most simple everyday tasks seemed overwhelming. I discovered that our gracious God provides strength when ours is gone.

Prayer: O Lord, even though You have given new life in Your heavenly kingdom to my loved one, I feel stuck in the old order of things. I miss the rhythm of my routine with them. Lord, grant me an extra measure of Your strength to endure these days of sorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Grief can often leave us feeling stuck. Stuck in sorrow or unable to move forward without our loved one. Even though I did not feel like doing anything, I set a goal to accomplish one thing each day. It could be as simple as doing a load of laundry or going for a walk. It helps dislodge the feeling that you’re stuck. Make a list and try to check one thing off each day.

Comforting Bible Verses About Death

Christian prayers are a source of comfort as we talk with Jesus about our feelings of loss. Along with the power of prayer, God also provides comfort through His Word. The Bible speaks comfort and peace into our lives to shine the light of God into every situation.

5. Hope of Eternity

Bible Verse: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV).

The things God has promised us number in the thousands. Many of them contain the hope of eternity as we leave former things behind on earth. As you think of the loved one you lost, they are with Jesus right now if they believed Him to be their Lord and Savior.

By the mercy of God, they have been restored, made whole, and feel no pain. Even though you miss that person here, they are inhabiting the new heaven and the new earth as we speak.

Prayer: Dear Father, the harvest of eternal life is far greater than I can comprehend. We are Your sheep and You are our true Shepherd. Thank you for welcoming my loved one home. Comfort my heart now until I can see them with You in heaven one day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Get a blank notebook. Take time to search through Scripture to write down every instance where God promises the hope of eternity with Him. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for all who love Him. You will be amazed by how He completely cares for you.

6. God Walks With You

Bible Verse: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4, ESV).

Grief over the loss of a loved one feels like walking in death. We miss them and smiles are few and far between. God knows this. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ walks with you through the dust of the earth. He provides your daily bread and everything you need to get through this time of grieving.

Prayer: Almighty Father, I miss my loved one so much. I long to hear her voice and see her face. Thank you for walking with me in this time of grief. Remind me each day that I do not grieve without hope. The purpose of Your love is spending eternity with You and reuniting with my loved ones who have gone before me. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: It is normal to feel overwhelmed in times of grief. Even the simplest tasks may seem like Mount Everest. Give yourself a LOT of grace right now. Let your heart grieve. Take time to look through pictures of your loved one. Make a scrapbook of your favorites. Remember the good times and thank God for your time with them.

Scripture When Someone Dies

When it comes to losing a loved one, the Word of God is with you every moment of every day. The hope and comfort that God provides through it helps navigate those long nights and hard moments when loss seems overwhelming.

7. God Will Wipe Away Your Tears

Bible verse: “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 25:8, ESV).

Even in the midst of grief, lift high the name of God because He sent His Son to swallow up death forever. God is eternal, and all who believe in Him will reign with Him into eternity — including your loved one. In the meantime, He will wipe away your tears as you look forward to your heavenly reunion.

Prayer: Eternal God, only You have opened the gates of life. Even though I am so very sad as I mourn the loss of my loved one, I know that she is with you safe and sound. Thank you for the peace that brings in the midst of my sorrow. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: When we mourn, helping others can ease our pain by making the world a better place. If your loved one supported or volunteered at a favorite charity, consider donating time or treasure to that organization or helping them in some way. Your generosity may help someone else’s tears be wiped away.

8. God of All Comfort

Bible Verse: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4, ESV).

This verse does not mince words. When we mourn, God will send comfort. The ultimate comfort comes from Him because the Son of God came to give His life so that we might live with Him eternally. That is true for all who believe Jesus is Savior. God is our comfort forever.

Prayer: King of all kings, I need your comfort. Sorrow tears at my heart. You promise to heal the brokenhearted, so I ask for your healing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Sorrow weighs you down, so you need something to lift you up. Take some time today to do something that brings you joy. It could be going for a bike ride in your favorite park, grabbing an ice cream cone, watch ducks swimming, read a book, or anything else.

Suggested Bible Study: The God of All Comfort

Prayers of Peace After Loss

I never expected to be in the room when my Dad crossed from this life into eternity. He was at the end of his long cancer journey and had been in the hospital for eight days. The doctors said that he would not leave alive. Peace may feel foreign.

9. Give Me Light Again

Bible Verse: “Because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78-79, ESV).

Thankfully, peace is part of the fruit of the Spirit that God has already given us. Some of the most beautiful prayers request God’s peace when our soul is sorrowful. His tender mercies never fail. His peace transcends even the hardest circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, a peace prayer is on my heart today. I feel my loved one’s loss especially today and miss them greatly. I wish I could hug them. But since I can’t, grant me an extra measure of Your peace to soothe my soul. Remind me that You are with me and never forsake me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Sometimes embracing peace looks like allowing yourself time alone with the Lord. Take a walk through nature or somewhere away from traffic and the noise of daily hustle and bustle. Peace may look like coffee with a trusted friend. Seek Him whatever you do and He will minister to your soul.

10. Even Jesus Grieved

Bible Verse: “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’Jesus wept” (John 11:33-35, ESV).

When Jesus’ dear friend Lazarus died, Jesus grieved. He grieved His own loss and mourned with those who grieved with Him. Grief reveals how much God has enabled us to love someone else. Grief is a process that we move through – not a place to remain indefinitely.

Prayer: God, your Son grieved many things while walking among us on Earth. Lord, show me how to process grief and provide wise, loving people who can guide me through. I trust You and Your perfect timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Action Item: Grab your Bible or your favorite Bible app and search for all instances of the word “peace.” When we mourn loss in this life, it helps to be reminded that we have a peace that passes all understanding from the Lord. His peace and the hope of eternity with Him get us through even our darkest days.

Bottom Line

I pray that the love of God gives your soul rest as you remember family members and dear friends in the loving arms of our heavenly Father.

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About the Author

Donna is a sought-after speaker, multi-published author, and Bible teacher. Her path from unchurched to becoming passionate about sharing Jesus was difficult. Read about her God-breathed journey: “From Unchurched to Becoming a Multi-Published Author and Sought-After Speaker.” If you want to send Donna a quick message, visit her here.

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