The purpose of this guide is to give you a comprehensive set of Christian prayers, as well as biblical background related to death in Christ. No one likes the fact that they are going to die. It’s scary, and it’s lonely. But through Jesus Christ, you don’t have to be afraid of death. In fact, since we all are going to die in a physical sense, then death should be the least of our worries. If we “loved our time but loathed our eternity” [then] then when the moment of our demise does come, we will wish for the ability to stay longer on this earth.
Dead bodies are not a joke. They must be treated with the utmost respect and dignity. This is what you would expect from a funeral home. Death is one of the few things that people do not like to talk about but it does happen. The best way to honor the deceased is to have an open communication between people especially close relatives such as spouse, children, siblings etc. Prayer for the dead is actually an old tradition in Christianity; however, we rarely hear of it these days because most people have removed its importance in their lives. Yet it can help families deal with death while they are going through the process of healing and grieving. Death meaning disintegration or termination of existence: if you think about it, then when someone dies, they cease to exist in full form. You will never see that person again and all those memories you have of them in your mind will fresh and beautiful as any other time you saw them in life can never be brought back again since death has taken away the very soul from these people.
Right here on Churchgists, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on prayer for the soul to rest in peace, goodbye short prayer for the dead, reasons for praying for the dead and so much more. Take out time to visit our Website for more information on similar topics.
Christian Prayer For The Dead
O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant N., and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Lord Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God,
by the will of the Father
and the work of the Holy Spirit;
your death brought life to the world.
By your holy body and blood free me from all my sins
and from every evil. Keep me faithful to your teaching,
and never let me be parted from you.
Our heavenly Father
The strength of our faith and the confidence we have in the mercy of God find expression in these words of prayer:
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
Heavenly Father
Mourners are encouraged to pray for the dead in order that their sins may be forgiven. Some Christians believe in purgatory, where those who have not committed grave sin, but who have died with minor sin on their souls, must remain for a period of time before being allowed into Heaven. It is believed that the prayers of the living assist them to be released from purgatory quicker.
Prayer can be offered privately or in church during masses and funerals. Churchgoers are also invited to pray for the deceased during public services many times a year such as All Souls Day and at Eastertide.
O God
O God, our Father, the death of Your Son was the beginning of life for the world. Grant, we pray, that Your servant [name], who has been freed by Christ from sin’s dominion, may rejoice in Your kingdom and enjoy eternal happiness through this same Jesus Christ.
Through Your Son’s death You have given us a share in the communion of saints. We pray for our loved ones who have died. May they enjoy the fullness of redemption and take part in your glory.
Dear friends,
Prayer for the dead is a time honored tradition in the Christian community. This practice has been encouraged ever since Jesus Christ himself raised Lazarus from death, and it continues to be an integral part of many cultures today. As you know, the Church’s teachings on praying for our departed loved ones stem from the belief that all people are sinners. If we sin against God, we separate ourselves from him in heaven. But if we repent of our sins through prayer, pay penance for them by doing good works on earth, and ask for his forgiveness—he will forgive us and welcome us into heaven with open arms.
Dear family,
Dear family,
You have a Father that loves you, and will never leave you. You have a Father who sees your sorrows and feels your pain. He watches over you day and night! He is omnipresent in all places at all times. He is with you right now this very moment! He will help you through these difficult times. Have hope in Him.
“Be strong and courageous; be not frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
Dear brothers and sisters,
Dear friends,
these are prayers for the souls in purgatory.
- Prayer for the soul of a dead friend
- Prayer for the soul of a dead mother
- Prayer for the soul of a dead child
- Prayer for the soul of a dead father
- Prayer for the soul of a dead brother
For any Christian believer with a loved one who has passed away, it is important to remember that our beloved dead are at peace and in the blessedness of Your presence.
- It is a means of comfort for those who are grieving and have experienced the loss of their loved one.
- When you pray for the dead, you make the promise that you will do your best to live a life without sin, thus avoiding eternal damnation in Hell.
- It is an act of love when we ask God to forgive our deceased loved ones of their faults and sins.
prayer for the soul to rest in peace
Serenity prayer for the departed souls
The Serenity Prayer asks God to grant us the serenity to change what we can, courage to change what we should, and wisdom to know the difference. This is more difficult than it sounds, but if you ask for this prayer in faith, God will give you the strength.
While praying for departed souls can be a great way of showing your love and support to those who have passed on, it’s also important that you learn how to effectively encourage others in their life after death. By letting loved ones know that you are there for them and offering spiritual support through this time of difficulty, you can help them move on from the pain and into a new life.
reasons for praying for the dead
Why do Catholics “pray for the dead”? Is it Biblical?
We, Catholics traditionally offers prayers for the deceased (died) persons to the Lord.
It is associated by offering a novena prayer, or having masses, or simply doing private prayer in heart, for our deceased (died) relatives and friends.
And by this, it shows our greatest acts of charity & love we can offer for the departed. Because the prayer helps the souls of the dead who were trapped in purgatory, so that they can enter more quickly into the fullness of heaven. This is recorded in catholic doctrine written in the catechism of the Catholic Church, (CCC) it says:
(CCC # 1371) “The Eucharistic sacrifice is also offered for the faithful departed who “have died in Christ but are not yet wholly purified,” so that they may be able to enter into the light and peace of Christ…..”
However, various anti-Catholic Protestants condemned it as unbiblical act, and of paganism, the fact that, our catholic practice of offering prayers for the dead is actually biblical. Because long before Christ came in New Testament, prayer of the dead is already Jewish practice as we can read in the Old Testament:
- Prophet Nehemiah, a servant of God who prayed for his ancestors.
Nehemiah 1:6 (Good News Bible): “Look at me, Lord, and hear my prayer, as I pray day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess that we, the people of Israel, have sinned. My ancestors and I have sinned.”
Now the question is, what is the status of his ancestors? Are his ancestors alive or dead? This is what written, please read:
Nehemiah 2:5 (Good News Bible) and then i said to the emperor, “If your majesty is pleased with me and is willing to grant my request, let me go to the land of Judah, to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild the city.”
It is clear that the ancestors of Nehemiah are dead and have been buried. It is also clear that Nehemiah prayed for his dead ancestors.
- Maccabeus who prayed to the Lord for his dead comrades
2 Maccabees 12:44-46 (Douay-Rheims Bible): [44] (for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) [45] and because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with Godliness, had great grace laid up for them.” [46] “It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Here, we can see that Maccabeus believed (as he expecting) that the dead would rise again (rise again spiritually in heaven), thus, he offers prayer for the dead, why? Just because he believed that his prayers could help the souls of the dead freed from their sins, to where?
Not in “heaven” because there are no place for sins in God’s place.
But not also in “hell” because once the soul gets there, it’s no longer be freed anymore, since this place is eternal damnation.
Therefore, it indicates that there’s a place wherein the remaining sins of souls can indeed be cleanse & purified & freed for final entry into heaven, and that is what Catholic Church called “purgatory.”
That’s why Catholics offers prayer for the dead is useful (helpful) for the souls of the dead would free themselves from purgatory into heaven.
- Even, St. Paul also prayed for his dead friend Onesiphorpus to the Lord.
2 Timothy 1:16-18 (New American Bible): [16] May the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because he often gave me new heart and was not ashamed of my chains. [17] But when he came to Rome, he promptly searched for me and found me. [18] May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you know very well the services he rendered in Ephesus.
(Note the past tense in all of Paul’s references to him) here St. Paul prays for his dead friend Onesiphorus that he find mercy from the Lord on that day. “On that day” this phrase shown a clear eschatological connotation for the last day, this means, St. Paul is asking for God’s mercy on Onesiphorus before the throne of judgment.
- St. Peter prayed to the Lord for his dead disciple, Tabitha, and restored her to life
Acts 36-37, 40 (New American Bible): [36] now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated means Dorcas). She was completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving. [37] Now during those days she fell sick and died, so after washing her, they laid (her) out in a room upstairs. [40] Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, rise up.” she opened her eyes, saw peter, and sat up.
Not just St. Peter offers prayer for the dead, but, in other instances, he teaches us to proclaim gospels even to the dead:
1 peter 4:6 (New American Bible): “for this is why the gospel was preached even to the dead that, though condemned in the flesh in human estimation, they might live in the spirit in the estimation of God.”
Since, we who live in this earth hoping that the spirits (souls) of the dead will live with God in heaven, that’s why when we made mass for them, we’re not just offering prayers for them, but accompanying (associated) with liturgy of the word as well,
- Therefore, it’s lawful to pray for the dead, why? Just because:
Sirach 7:33 (New Jerusalem Bible): “let your generosity extend to all the living, do not withhold it even from the dead.”
Generosity is for all, any acts of generosity, such as kindness by deeds, prayers, mercy, charities, is for all, not just for the living, but the dead as well. That’s why Catholics flocked to their churches & cemeteries on all souls day, to offer prayers in behalf of their departed relatives & friends.
Even the Lord himself bless to those who have a compassion not just to the living, but to the dead as well.
Ruth 2:20 (New American Bible): “May he be blessed by the Lord, who is ever merciful to the living and to the dead,” Naomi exclaimed to her daughter-in-law; and she continued, “he is a relative of ours, one of our next of kin.”
