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Prayers and thoughts for deceased Christians

(Submission of prayerful thoughts from other religious groups for the recently departed are encouraged via e-mail)

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.

Amen

(The Lord's Prayer, King James Bible, AD 1611)

 


The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen.

 


Soul of Christ, sanctify me.

Body of Christ, save me.

Blood of Christ, refresh me.

Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

Passion of Christ, strengthen me.

O good Jesus, hear me.

Within your wounds hide me.

Let me never be separated from you.

From the power of darkness defend me.

In the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you, that with your saints I may praise you for ever and ever.

Amen.

 


Eternal God and Father, we praise you that you have made people to share life together and to reflect your glory in the world.

We thank you now for [Name], for all that we saw of your goodness and love in his/her life and for all that he/she means to each one of us.

As we too journey towards death may we do so in the company of Jesus, who came to share our life that we might share the life of eternity.

To him be glory with you and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

Amen.

 


Father in heaven, we praise your name for all who have finished this life loving and trusting you, for the example of their lives, the life and grace you gave them, and the peace in which they rest.

We praise you today for your servant [Name] and for all that you did through him/her.

Meet us in our sadness and fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving, for the sake of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

 


O God, you do not willingly grieve or afflict your children.

Look with pity on the suffering of this family in their loss.

Sustain them in their anguish; and into the darkness of their grief bring the light of your love; through Jesus we pray.

Amen.

 


Almighty God, you love everything you have made and judge us with infinite mercy and justice.

We rejoice in your promises of pardon, joy and peace to all those who love you.

In your mercy turn the darkness of death into the dawn of new life, and the sorrow of parting into the joy of heaven; through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who died, rose again, and lives for evermore.

Amen.

 


Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us all with the gift of this earthly life and has given to our brother/sister [Name] his/her span of years and gifts of character.

God our Father, we thank you now for all his/her life, for every memory of love and joy, for every good deed done by him/her and every sorrow shared with us.

We thank you for his/her life and for his/her death, we thank you for the rest in Christ he/she now enjoys, we thank you for giving him/her to us, we thank you for the glory we shall share together.

Hear our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 


God our Father, we thank you that you have made each of us in your own image, and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you.

We thank you for [Name], the years we shared with him/her, the good we saw in him/her, the love we received from him/her.

Now give us strength and courage to leave him/her in your care, confident in your promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 


Lord, in weakness or in strength we bear your image.

We pray for those we love who now live in a land of shadows, where the light of memory is dimmed, where the familiar lies unknown, where the beloved become as strangers.

Hold them in your everlasting arms, and grant to those who care a strength to serve, a patience to persevere, a love to last and a peace that passes human understanding.

Hold us in your everlasting arms, today and for all eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

 


Father of all mercies and God of all consolation, you pursue us with untiring love and dispel the shadow of death with the bright dawn of life.

Give courage to this family in their loss and sorrow.

Be their refuge and strength, O Lord, reassure them of your continuing love and lift them from the depths of grief into the peace and light of your presence.

Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by dying has destroyed our death, and by rising, restored our life.

Your Holy Spirit, our comforter, speaks for us in groans too deep for words.

Come alongside your people, remind them of your eternal presence and give them your comfort and strength.

Amen.

 


Lord Jesus, our redeemer, you willingly gave yourself up to death, so that all might be saved and pass from death to life.

By dying you unlocked the gates of life for all those who believe in you.

So we commend [Name] into your arms of mercy, believing that, with sins forgiven, he/she will share a place of happiness, light and peace in the kingdom of your glory for ever.

Amen.

 


Lord God, creator of all, you have made us creatures of this earth but have also promised us a share in life eternal: receive our thanks and praise that, through the passion and death of Christ, your child [Name], our brother/sister, whom we commend into your hands today, shares with your saints in the joy of heaven, where there is neither sorrow nor pain but life everlasting.

Alleluia.

Amen.

 


We beg You, Lord, in Your kindness to have pity on the soul of Your servant [Name].

Grant him/her now freed of this life's dangers, a place of lasting safety.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

 

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In God's wilderness
lies the hope of the world,
the great, fresh, unblighted,
unredeemed wilderness.

 — John Muir, 1838-1914
Alaska Wilderness, 1890

If you've been able to read this Web page...
thank a Teacher;
If you've been able to read this Web page in English...
thank a Veteran.
—Author unknown

• Copyright notice •
Content Copyright © 1984 -- 2009-06-22
by Michael A. Neiger

• All rights reserved •
No part of this Web page or this Web site protected by copyright law may be reproduced, transmitted, or used in any form--including graphic, electronic, Web, mechanical or other form--or by any means--including photocopying, recording, taping, Internet distribution, information storage retrieval system, or by other means--for any purpose, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages, without the prior, express, written permission of the author.

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Web site URL: www.MibSAR.com

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