Funeral Prayer
Here are some examples of funeral prayers you can use as ideas for your funeral preparations. Keep in mind that a funeral prayer can be said before the procession to a religious ceremony. You can make arrangements with the religious officiator during funeral speeches or funeral readings can be delivered during a religious ceremony. Funeral Prayer for Dying PeopleSoul 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 meand bid me come to you,that with your saints I may praise youfor ever and ever. Amen.Christ be with me, Christ within me,Christ behind me, Christ before me,Christ beside me, Christ to win me,Christ to comfort and restore me,Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,Christ in hearts of all that love me,Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. Lord Jesus Christ, we thank youfor all the benefits you have won for us,for all the pains and insults you have borne for us.Most merciful redeemer,friend and brother,may we know you more clearly,love you more dearly,and follow you more nearly,day by day. Amen. Gathering Funeral Prayer
God our refuge and strength,close at hand in our distress;meet us in our sorrow and lift our eyesto the peace and light of your constant care.Help us so to hear your word of gracethat our fear will be dispelled by your love,our loneliness eased by your presenceand our hope renewed by your promisesin Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Gracious Father,in darkness and light,in trouble and in joy,help us to trust your love,to serve your purposeand to praise your name;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Heavenly Father,you have not made us for darkness and death,but for life with you for ever.Without you we have nothing to hope for;with you we have nothing to fear.Speak to us now your words of eternal life.Lift us from anxiety and guiltto the light and peace of your presence,and set the glory of your love before us;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Funeral and Memorial Services Funeral Prayer
The funeral prayer that follow are specifically for funeral prayers during a funeral service or a memorial. The other funeral prayers found may be said at different parts of the funeral prayer preparations.Merciful Father,hear our prayers and comfort us;renew our trust in your Son,whom you raised from the dead;strengthen our faiththat [N and N] all who have died in the love of Christwill share in his resurrection;who lives and reigns with you,now and for ever. Amen. Eternal God, our maker and redeemer,grant us [with N] and all the faithful departedthe sure benefits of your Son's saving passionand glorious resurrection:that, in the last day,when you gather up all things in Christ,we may with them enjoy the fullness of your promises;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever. Amen. Funeral Prayer:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,who has blessed us all with the gift of this earthly lifeand has given to our brother/sister Nhis/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/herand 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. Merciful Father and Lord of all life,we praise you that we are made in your imageand reflect your truth and light.We thank you for the life of your child N ,for the love he/she received from youand showed among us.Above all, we rejoice at your gracious promiseto all your servants, living and departed,that we shall rise again at the coming of Christ.And we ask that in due timewe may share with our brother/sister that clearer vision,when we shall see your face in the same Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord of all, we praise youfor all who have entered into their restand reached the promised land where you are seen face to face.Give us grace to follow in their footstepsas they followed in the way of your Son.Thank you for the memory of those you have called to yourself:by each memory, turn our hearts from things seento things unseen,and lead us till we come to the eternal restyou have prepared for your people,through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Father in heaven, we praise your namefor 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 Nand for all that you did through him/her.Meet us in our sadnessand fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving,for the sake of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. Father in heaven,we thank you because you made us in your own imageand gave us gifts in mind, body and spirit.We thank you now for Nand what he/she meant to each of us.As we honour his/her memory,make us more aware that you are the onefrom whom comes every perfect gift,including the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Amen. God our Father,we thank you that you have made each of usin your own image,and given us gifts and talents with which to serve you.We thank you for N ,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 courageto leave him/her in your care,confident in your promise of eternal lifethrough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Eternal God and Father,we praise you that you have made peopleto share life togetherand to reflect your glory in the world.We thank you now for N ,for all that we saw of your goodness and love in his/her lifeand for all that he/she means to each one of us.As we too journey towards deathmay we do so in the company of Jesus,who came to share our lifethat we might share the life of eternity.To him be glory with you and the Holy Spiritfor ever and ever. Amen. Lord God, creator of all,you have made us creatures of this earthbut have also promised us a share in life eternal:receive our thanks and praisethat, through the passion and death of Christ,your child N , 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 painbut life everlasting. Alleluia. Amen. Almighty God,you love everything you have madeand judge us with infinite mercy and justice.We rejoice in your promises of pardon, joy and peaceto 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. Almighty God,we come before you, the supreme judge,and to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant,and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect;we give you thanks for giving us an unshakeable kingdomand we worship you in reverence and awe,through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Funeral Prayer for those who MournGod of mercy,as we mourn the death of (name)and we thank you for his/her life,we also remeber times when it was hard for us to understand,to forgive, and to be forgiven.Heal our memories of hurt and failure,and bring us to forgiveness and lifein Jesus Christ our Lord.AmenFather, the death of (name) brings an emptiness into our lives.We are separated from him/herand feel broken and disturbed.Give us confidence that he/she is safeand his/her life complete with you,and bring us together at the last to the wholeness and fullness of your presence in heaven,where your saints and angels enjoy you for ever and ever.Amen Another idea that in my opinion is helpful especially when young children are involved is to have the children write a note either in the form of a letter or in
funeral cards
that they can each, one at a time, gently insert into the coffin and lay a single rose on top. This thoughtful act really is beneficial to the children in helping them in the grieving process and coping with a funeral in general.
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