God, we know that this baby is in heaven with you but we're grieving the loss of him/her here on earth. It seems unfair and it's devastating, but I pray that you would continue to wrap your arms around us as we cry, mourn, and remember the life of this precious child. Please be with the parents as they mourn the loss of the hope they had for their child. Wipe their tears when it just seems too heavy for them. Help them to know that you are in control and that there will be a day when all the heartache and brokenness of the world will be gone forever.
God, thank you that you promise to be our refuge, our safe place, our protector, and our shelter when we are battling through a storm. I pray that you would provide that shelter for my friend who had to say goodbye to their child. Help us to surround him/her with Your love during this time, and give them peace so they would know you love them and have not abandoned them. Give them the strength to take one day at a time, one moment at a time, and one step forward at a time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4: To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance.
Heavenly Father, as our friend's and family's losses weigh on our hearts and perplex us in ways we can't understand, remind us that each season of life is there for a reason. Lord, help us to have an eternal perspective and to remember that we aren't made to be happy and whole in this life. Help us to be willing to walk beside our friends and family in whatever season we are given, whether rejoicing or grieving. Lord, we ask you to break our hearts for the things that break yours.
Psalm 139:14: I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
God, we may not understand the depth of grief from a parent who has lost a child. We may not know the loss of a child ourselves. Maybe we know a different kind of loss. Give us the clarity to remind ourselves that each and every life comes from you. Each child, no matter the time here, is perfectly made and loved for eternity. Let us reflect that truth back to those who mourn for the life of a child.
We long to be with our dear beloved child, our hearts are heavy with deep sorrow and our breath is shallow. Please carry us, for we are overwhelmed by the pain of our grief. Words can not express the depth of our loss or the heartache we feel. We know you are with our dear beloved son (daughter), your heart is overjoyed by him. His breath is new life in Heaven. Please come and nurture our precious one. Thank you for the hope of eternal life that he has now received. Lord, you will keep him safe until we meet. We entrust him into your care now. Amen.
She was so small,
so beautiful,
so full of hope and promise.
What a blessing she has been
to all of us who knew her
those few short months.
She taught us to love,
to hope beyond expectation,
to trust in that which is unseen.
She drew us together
in our anxiety,
our moments of despairing and hopelessness,
as well as in our joys and delight,
and in her every breath.
Her life ended prematurely;
just so had she been born.
Too soon she died.
We wept.
The tears continue.
We hugged
and held one another.
The pain will always linger.
Our hearts emptier
for her absence
and the unfulfilled dreams
she promised.
But the love she brought
into our lives will live forever.
Thank you for giving her to us.
Thank you for the blessing
that she will always be.
Thank you for the love we
would never have known,
but for her
and her brief days with us.
Thank you for _____,
our blessed child of grace.
Amen.
Thank you, God, that you care about us and that we don't need to carry this burden alone. Please lift up our friends who are mourning the loss of their sweet baby. Help them to cast all their worries, concerns, hurts, and suffering to You. Thank you that you care about them and their baby more than we ever could. We pray that their baby would be honored and remembered forever.
Oh Lord, you know every tear that has fallen onto our cheeks. You know how painful and devastated we are at the loss of this precious child. Please help the parents to use their tears as healing and not to hold back or try to be strong on their own when it's too much to handle. Thank you that you care about every single tear drop that falls from our eyes, it is not lost on you. Help us to mourn alongside these parents, and help us to continue to trust you moving forward.