Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
Did someone close to you recently die? Do you want to pray for a person who has passed away?
It is natural to miss someone when they die, and it is also appropriate to pray for them when they have passed on. It may feel more urgent to you when their passing happened recently.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that what we face here on earth, be it the struggles of life or the grief of death, is something that pales in comparison with what we have for us in eternal glory.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4.17-18, NIV).
So, even as you miss your loved one or friend who has died, you can take comfort in where they are now through Christ. As you pray for them, that they are embracing the fullness of God, you can also pray for yourself to look at the eternal perspective on what you are experiencing.
These seven caring prayers for a person who just passed away are here for you to use and allow yourself to grow closer to God. You can modify any of the following prayers to have them fit your specific situation. You may also benefit from praying for a grandmother who died, or exploring prayers for visiting a grave site.
As you pray these prayers or others you may discover on this site, we encourage you to share your prayer requests and comments in the section at the end of this article.
Short Prayer For A Person Who Just Passed Away
Lord, someone close to me has died and I don’t know what to say or do. I don’t like death and I don’t like to talk about it, but I want to show compassion to their family. Help me to know what to say, and how to say it. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Prayer For A Family Member Who Just Passed Away
Dear Lord, I can’t say I am surprised by what I just heard on the phone call with my mom, but my favorite uncle just passed away. We all knew he had been quite ill so we all knew he wouldn’t be living a long life. But, just hearing that he has passed hits me hard.
I always enjoyed being around him as he made me laugh and taught me things about the world and about people. It was like having a second dad, but without all the parental worry and nagging. I have a hole in my heart now, realizing that he is truly gone from us.
I could always turn to him for advice and now that door is closed. I wasn’t ready for him to be gone just yet. I know he couldn’t have stayed around forever, but I selfishly wanted more time with him. I feel like I’m going to be walking around the rest of this day in a fog. Help me to function and do what I need to do, Lord.
I want to grieve my uncle but I know I can’t fully do that now, in the middle of a workday. Help me keep it together until I can get back home and truly grieve my uncle’s passing. I pray for your comfort and peace in the meantime. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer through Jesus, Amen.
Prayer For A Friend Who Just Died
God in heaven, my good friend from college just died, I discovered. He had a heart attack and is gone. We hadn’t talked in a while, but I am shocked to know that he is dead. I can’t imagine what his wife and children are going through. Please surround them with your Spirit and give them your care.
He seemed like he was in decent health and to hear that he died in this way is hard to grasp. How can he be here one moment and then he’s gone? I hope he didn’t suffer too much as he died and I guess I can be thankful that he didn’t die alone. There were people around him trying to do CPR and all that, but he died anyway.
We had some good times together and I enjoyed being his friend. He was a really good guy and I’m already missing him, knowing that I’ll never get to talk to him again and listen to his too-long stories. God, I pray for his family and I pray for myself. Help me to deal with this devastating news and grieve my friend properly. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Prayer For A Co-Worker Who Recently Died
Dear God, I just found out that one of my co-workers died over the weekend in a car crash. I am stunned. While I didn’t know her all that well, we had worked together for the last year or so and had a really good working relationship–she was my work buddy.
And now she’s gone. I know she had family, so I lift prayers to you for them and all the anguish they are experiencing right now. I’m sure they are in shock and yet having to make all kinds of decisions about the funeral and so forth. Give them peace and rest through each hour, Lord.
Everyone here at work is affected by her absence as she played a key role in what we do here, and she was genuinely well-liked. We’re all kind of in a daze. I pray for myself and all of us at work to be able to just make it through this day, somehow.
I hope the company finds some way to honor her and remember her for all she has done here. She is going to be sorely missed and doubly so for the fact that she didn’t move away, she was taken from us by death. Please help me to think clearly, Lord, because this is a hard pill to swallow this morning. I pray this prayer in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Prayer For A Church Colleague Who Passed Away
Father God, everyone in our church just got a text alert that one of our members has passed away. (Colleague’s name) died last night. I worked with him on several committees and enjoyed being around him. But now he has passed away.
I lift his family up to you and I lift our entire congregation to you as well. He was the kind of guy who knew everyone and whom everyone knew. He is going to be deeply, deeply missed at church. I am thankful that he is with you in heaven, but Lord, I sure do miss him right now.
He was the kind of guy you want as your friend and colleague. You want to work with him and have him help you out. Help us all deal with this sad news and place our hope and trust in you. I pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior, Amen.
Prayer For A Neighbor Who Recently Died
Lord, this is a sad day today. There were ambulances at our neighbor’s house early in the morning and we all gathered outside hoping for the best. But the EMTs just informed us that she died, despite their efforts.
We’re all standing here in shock, not sure what to do now. I can sense that we want to help (neighbor’s name), but none of us are sure if this is the proper time. Help us to help him appropriately. We want to let them know they’re not alone.
I pray for their children, who are likely wondering why their parent isn’t here anymore. Just surround them all with deep understanding and compassion and mercy. In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Prayer For An Acquaintance Who Passed Away
Dear God, I heard from a friend that one of my buddies at the gym passed away last week. I just knew (acquaintance’s name) from chatting at the gym a few times a week, but I am very sorry he has died. He seemed like a good guy to know, and he was always friendly to me during our workouts.
I’m not sure what kind of family he had, as our gym conversations didn’t get too deep beyond surface talk. But I pray for them anyway. Help them to walk through this sudden grief surrounded by your grace.
I will miss him in the mornings at the gym, for sure. He wasn’t really a friend, but his presence will still be missed and I feel sad that he is gone from us all. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Concluding Thoughts
It’s hard to know what to do when someone dies. There are a lot of conflicting emotions coming together and sometimes confusion as to what to say, or how to feel.
It might be helpful to say this encouragement from Paul’s letter to the Romans out loud. “We belong to the Lord.”
“For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Romans 14.7-8, NIV).
When we face the sudden passing of someone in our life, we can turn to God and remember that we belong to God. We can pray, in confidence, knowing that God hears us. We can take comfort from the Holy Spirit as we pray for our friend who has died.
Let these prayers open you up to comfort, grace, and peace, through Jesus Christ.