Prayers & Meditations of Hope and Remembrance
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
The Little Gate to God
By Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918)
In the castle of my soul is a postern gate. Whereat, when I enter, I am In the presence of God.
In a moment, in the turning of a thought, I am where God is, This is a fact.
When I enter into God, All life has a meaning, Without asking I know; My desires are even now fulfilled, My fever is gone.
In the great quiet of God. My troubles are but pebbles on the road, My joys are like the everlasting hills. So it is when My soul steps through the postern gate Into the presence of God.
Big things become small and small things become great. The near becomes far, and the future is near.
The lowly and despised is hot through with glory - God is the substance of all revolutions; When I am in Him, I am in the Kingdom of God and in the Home of my Soul.
Christian
Loving and ever-present God, we believe that your grace is sufficient for all things. Comfort us anew by your presence. Allow that in our weakness we may be made strong, in our grief, consoled, and in our ignorance, wise. Protect and guide us that we may know the way to take and that at each crossroad of life we may see the right path to choose. Safeguard us by your power, uphold us your kindness, and warm us by your love. By your divine grace help us to do what is right, to act courageously, to love our neighbors, to forgive our enemies. By your grace, bless us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
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Holy God, sometimes things are really difficult for us especially when we have to face our humanness in a way that is not necessarily comfortable for us. Thank you for being present with us and helping us to look at our living and our dying. Remind us when we are fearful of death that You will be there with us each step of the way. Help our family members and those we love as they try to deal with what is happening as well. Let Your love and presence be felt as we express our fears, our concerns, and our mortality. Help us to always to remember that through our faith in You, we can live and we can die. We pray these prayers with the assurance of the love and compassion that your Son, Jesus Christ, has shown to us throughout our lives. We know that Jesus will be there to welcome our souls into God’s presence. Amen.
From A Clergy Guide to End-of-Life Issues / Martha R. Jacobs
Jewish
Venerable and hallowed are the memories of those who have died. We recall them with warmth and affection, grateful to G-d for the gift of their lives, for their faithful companionship, and for the cherished reminiscences which endure. May G-d comfort all who mourn. May G-d grant them strength to see beyond their sorrow, and sustain them in their grief. In solemn testimony to that unbroken faith which links our generations one to another, those observing Yahrzeit and those who mourn now take a silent minute to contemplate their faith in G-d, to magnify and sanctify G-d’s holy name. Amen
(Adapted from the mourner’s Kaddish)
There are often times, O God, when I feel alone, and yet I know in my heart that I am never alone. You are always there waiting for me to speak to You of my desires, hopes and dreams.
Yet how seldom do I reach out to You to voice my gratitude for all that is beautiful in my life… all the gifts of my life. Love, family, friendship, have come from You.
But the greatest gift of all is Your presence, which time and again has given me strength, faith and courage.
Now, in the midst of doubt and confusion, I need to know that You are beside me in the depth of my being. With You there, I know I am not alone – ever.
My Friend, my strength, my God.
From Gates of Healing ©1988 by Central Conference of American Rabbis.
The Mi sheberakh Prayer
Mi sheberakh avoteinu mekor habrakha l’imoteinu
May the Source of strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage
To make our lives a blessing,
And let us say: Amen.
Mi sheberakh imoteinu mekor habrakha l’avoteinu
Bless those in need of healing with refuah shleima:
The renewal of body,
The renewal of spirit,
And let us say: Amen
Hear this beautiful prayer sung by composer Debbie Friedman.
Muslim
Exceed not in your religion the bounds of what is proper, trespassing beyond the truth, nor follow the vain desires of people who went wrong in times gone by—who misled many and strayed themselves from the even way. (The Holy Qur’an, Surah 5:77)
In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful. Praise be to Allah, the cherisher and sustainer of the worlds, most gracious, most merciful. Master of the Day of Judgment, you do we worship, and your aid do we seek. Show us the straight way: the way of those on whom you have bestowed your grace. We humbly ask that you shower blessings and restore peace to all those suffering loss, and grant all people wisdom and compassion. Amen
Buddhist Blessing and Healing Chant
Just as the soft rains fill the streams, pour into the rivers and join together in the oceans, so may the power of every moment of your goodness flow forth to awaken and heal all beings, Those here now, those gone before, those yet to come.
By the power of every moment of your goodness...
May your heart's wishes be soon fulfilled, as completely shining as the bright full moon, as magically as by a wish-fulfilling gem.
May all dangers be averted and all disease be gone.
May no obstacle come across your way.
May you enjoy fulfillment and long life.
For all in whose heart dwells respect, who follow the wisdom and compassion of the Way, May your life prosper in the four blessings, of old age, beauty, happiness and strength.
Four Nondenominational Prayers for Healing
(Source: http://www.cancersupportivecare.com/spirituality.html)
These four nondenominational prayers for healing have been selected by the pastoral care staff at the UCSF/Mount Zion Medical Center.
My God and God of all generations, in my great need I pour out my heart to you. Long days and weeks of suffering are hard to endure. In my struggle, I reach out for the help that only you can give. Let me feel that you are near, and that your care enfolds me. Rouse me with the strength to overcome my weakness, and brighten my spirit with the assurance of your love. Help me to sustain the hopes of my loved ones as they strive to strengthen and encourage me. May the healing power you have placed within me give me the strength to recover so I may fulfill my journey in the Divine Plan.
In sickness I turn to you, O God, as a child turns to a parent for comfort and help. Strengthen within me the wondrous power of healing that you have implanted in your children. Guide my doctors and nurses, that they may speed my recovery. Let the knowledge of your love comfort my loved ones, lighten their burdens and renew their faith. May my sickness not weaken my faith in you, nor diminish my love for other human beings. From my illness may I gain a truer appreciation of life's gifts, a deeper awareness of life's blessings, and a fuller sympathy for all who are in pain.
Send me, O God, your healing, so that I may quickly recover from the illness that has come upon me. Sustain my spirit, relieve my pain and restore me to perfect health, happiness and strength. Grant unto my body your healing power so I may continue to be able to bear testimony to your everlasting mercy and love, for you, O Lord, art a faithful and merciful healer.
Be at Peace
Do not fear the changes of life--
Rather look to them with full hope as they arise.
God, whose very own you are,
Will deliver you from out of them.
He has kept you hitherto,
And He will lead you safely through all things;
And when you cannot stand it,
God will bury you in His arms.
Do not be afraid of what may happen tomorrow;
The same everlasting Father who cares for you today
Will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering,
Or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at Peace--
And put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
--St. Francis de Sales
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