Today I offer a prayer of mourning and comfort. I know multiple people, myself included, who have recently experienced great loss. Mourning is an important part of the healing process. People generally agree that ignoring loss, or pretending it doesn’t bother us, is not healthy. Grief is very real, and giving it an appropriate amount of our time and focus will help us continue forward in life. We will never fully forget (or get over) the loss, nor should we, though we can learn to focus on happy memories rather than sad/traumatic ones. This is far easier when we rely on God, the great physician, and His people, to walk beside us on this healing journey.
Father God, our Steadfast and Compassionate Lord, blessed be You who comforts us in our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are also in affliction. Jesus Himself wept, and stated that those who mourn are blessed, and receive comfort. You say the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and scripture is full of examples of David and others mourning until they had no more strength to weep. Yet, there is great hope in the midst of such pain, for You heal the brokenhearted and bind up our wounds, saving those who are crushed in spirit. The death of Your saints is precious in Your sight, and we need not fear evil, for You walk with us, comfort us, and guide us, even in the valley of the shadow of death. You promise to wipe away every tear, and death will be no more, nor will there be any pain or mourning, when we one day enter into Your presence. Paul considered the sufferings of this present time incomparable to Your glory that will one day be fully revealed to us. This can be our comfort in times of suffering: Your promises give us life, and life eternal with You. May Your steadfast love comfort Your servants according to Your great promises. May the peace Jesus leaves with us keep our hearts from trouble, and our minds free from fear. We experience sorrow now, but when we see Jesus face to face, our hearts will rejoice greatly, and no one, nor any circumstance, can remove that joy from us. We praise You, our Comforter and Shelter in times of great trial, and seek to love, honor, obey, and serve You, with all that we have, each and every day, amen.
[Inspired by: 2 Cor 1:3-4, Jn 11:35, Mt 5:4, Ecc 7:4, 1 Sm 30:4, Psa 147:3, Psa 34:18, Psa 116:15, Psa 23:4, Rev 21:4, Rm 8:18, Psa 119:50, Psa 119:76, Jn 14:27, Jn 16:22]
~ Conqueror in Training