Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Emma
If your grandmother has passed away, then these six tender prayers will be helpful to you as you seek to pray about your loss.
As you read this, please accept our condolences for the passing of your grandmother. Any death in a family is tragic and deeply emotional, but grandmothers hold a special place in our hearts for the role they play in our lives.
Grandmothers go by many different names (Granny, Grandma, Gramma, Nona, NaNa, Gram, and many others), and have many different influences on the lives of those they touch.
Some grandmothers are like a second mother, while others are, in fact, raising their grandchildren. Some are strict, some are gracious, and most end up being indulgent with their grandchildren. Some may have even taught you to pray your first prayer.
“All of the fun, and not much of the responsibility” has been uttered by many a grandmother, as they talk about their grandchildren. They usually mean that they can enjoy all the fun of interacting with the kids, but they don’t have to do the actual parenting of them. Grandmothers have earned the privilege of this role, don’t you agree?
“Gray hair is a crown of splendor;
it is attained in the way of righteousness” Proverbs 16.31, NIV).
So, when a grandmother dies, her death leaves a gaping hole in the life of the family. A grandmother’s death causes great emotional waves to flow over the family in strong ripples over time.
For younger grandchildren, it can be an especially trying time. Let them be comforted by knowing they, as grandchildren, are tangible expressions of honor for their grandmother.
“Children’s children are a crown to the aged” (Proverbs 17.6, NIV).
There are a variety of prayers here to choose from, depending on how your grandmother died. You can change the exact wording to fit your situation and pray the prayer in that way. Or, you can use these prayers as a starting point for how you want to pray for her.
Praying for a grandmother who has passed away is a way for God to bring you into a place of peace and comfort.
A Brief Prayer For a Grandmother’s Passing
Dear God, I pray for my grandmother who just passed away yesterday. We got the news and are still in shock at knowing she is no longer with us. I know she is with you in heaven, but we miss her terribly and are deeply grieving. Help us mourn her, honor her memory, and live out the best she has given us. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer For a Grandmother Who Died From Cancer
Dear Jesus, my grandmother died this week after a long battle with cancer. We had hoped the radiation and chemotherapy treatments were going to knock it into remission, but that did not happen.
We are thankful for the additional time the treatments did give us all. We were able to get some things straightened out and all of us in the family are now in a much better place emotionally to handle her death. We are grateful to you that we had this time.
Even so, we are deeply sad that she is not here anymore. Her passing leaves a big hole in our lives and in our hearts. I pray you help each person grieve in the way that is best for them. I pray we allow each person to grieve in their own time and way. Help us all to honor her memory with our lives. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Prayer For a Grandmother Who Died of Old Age
Dear God, Grandma died in her sleep last night. I got the call early this morning. I am still stunned even though she went just as she wanted to: peacefully and with no fuss for anyone. She was 96 years old so she had lived a long and abundant life, so I can be grateful for that.
But I still didn’t want her to die. She means so much to me and to the other grandchildren, even though we are all adults now. What a presence she has been in our lives for so many years. I give you thanks for how you used her in my own life to help point me to a relationship with you.
Thank you for the medical people who cared for her and the aides who came to her home regularly over the past many months. Help us all to grieve her fully. Help each of us in the coming days to deal with our sadness. I pray for your comfort to surround us all. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Prayer For a Grandmother Whose Death Was Expected
Well, Lord, Granny died today. I’m praying right now, not because I, or any of us, is surprised, but because I thank you that she went out on her own terms. She knew this was coming when the doctors told her she had a couple of months to live.
She said then that she was stopping treatments because she did not want to stay around here longer than she needed to–she wanted to come home to you! I am grateful that we all respected her wishes on that and loved on her fully these past many weeks. We are saddened, of course, but we also have some joy in knowing that this is what she wanted.
Help us hold onto that joy, even as we grieve. Thank you that because of Jesus Christ, we have hope. I pray that we mourn her properly and express the confidence she had her whole life, in you. I pray this with a heavy and hopeful heart, Amen.
Prayer For a Grandmother Whose Death Was Unexpected
O my dear Jesus! My mother, my children’s grandmother has died in a car wreck. She was driving herself to the grocery store and someone crashed into her and she died instantly. God, I wanted more time for my children to know her and learn from her! I can’t even barely process that this has actually happened.
She was in great health and had a good many years ahead. And now, she’s been suddenly taken from us by the actions of another. My God, there is so much we’re going to have to do. Funeral arrangements, getting her body, deciding what to do with her estate. . .what am I going to tell my children about their grandmother?!
God, give me strength right now. I need to talk with her grandchildren and I’m not sure what to tell them, other than she loved them very much. Help me, help them to grieve their grandmother. Please send your comforting Holy Spirit to surround us all right now and guide us. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer For a Grandmother Who Died In The Hospital
Dear Lord, my dad called me last night and told me my Gramma died in the hospital after all the complications from her latest illness. I had a bad feeling when she went into the hospital a week ago that this was not going to be a good situation.
I can be thankful that she is not in anymore pain right now. She is fully whole with you. I take some comfort in knowing that to be a reality and a truth, but Lord, right now, this hurts. I miss her so much right now. I wanted some more time with her. I wanted to hear her laugh and see that magical smile of hers.
She’s gone and now I am grieving her passing. Help me and her other grandchildren to mourn her, even as we remember the best parts of our life were usually in her presence. I pray we can live out all the lessons she taught us over the years. I pray our lives serve as a witness to her love and we honor her wonderful memory each day. In the comforting name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Final Thoughts
A grandmother is a special woman to her grandchildren. When she dies, her grandchildren will grieve and mourn. For many grandchildren, her death may be their first experience with a loved one passing. This can be jarring for some to realize the finite aspect of life. Death has come close to them in their family.
If a grandmother was a follower of Jesus Christ, her family can take solace in the truth that she had faith, and her faith can be received by those who love her, as the Apostle Paul reminds us:
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1.5, NIV).
Whomever your grandmother was to you, let her life and lessons live on in you and through you. As you pray these prayers, and others, in the coming days, allow your grieving process to be complete in all of its aspects. Let your prayers be a way to honor her, her life, and God. Pray as much as you like to help you through the grieving process and lean on your connection with God during this time.
We invite you to share your personal comments or prayer requests down below.