A peaceful prayer for the dying

They say quick death is better than a slow, painful one because it does not give us enough time to reminisce about life and say emotional goodbyes to our loved ones. People like cancer patients experience a slow death riddled by anxiety, worry, and physical pains that only get worse, and the expensive treatment does not help.

This prayer for a loved one dying of cancer or other illnesses can help grant them peace and comfort as they slowly reach the epilogue of their life story. This prayer for a dying person will also help them receive the Lord and hopefully be saved.  

Prayer for the dying

Dear God,

From the day I learned Your Name until the day I die, I will sing praises of Your glory and grace, which has touched every living creature that walks upon the earth, even when they don’t notice it. Forgive me for my shortcomings and my failures. 

I may be imperfect, but still, I pray for those who are suffering on their deathbeds, stuck in-between life and death. I pray for their loved ones who cry behind closed doors, loved ones who have to slowly watch them slip deeper and deeper into sickness. I pray that You will bestow a miracle upon the perishing, Lord God, for I know that it is never too late for miracles when it comes to You. However, if that is not according to Your plan, then may You grant them peace and comfort so that their last days on Earth will no longer be filled with suffering, pain, and sadness. May they slip into eternal slumber with their loved ones surrounding them and giving them comfort. May their loved ones also have peace after their death and assurance that they will soon meet again in Heaven. 

Amen. 

Short prayer for someone dying

Almighty God, the King of kings, 

I approach Your glorious throne today, asking for Your mercy as I lay down at your feet this gentle prayer for someone dying. Hear their cries for mercy and respite, O Lord. Their days may be numbered, but I beg You to soothe their weary bodies with Your healing balm. I pray for a miracle, and I understand that sometimes, this miracle is not what we expect but something greater. Give them peace and comfort during their last days on Earth. 

Amen. 

The Word of God

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 NRSVUE

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

John 3:16 NRSVUE

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

John 14:27 NRSVUE

Intercessory prayer to Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph, you are God’s appointed patron saint and mediator for the dying, and you have taken it upon yourself to help the terminally ill have peace by reaching closure with the Lord. 

I humbly ask you to pray for those who are dying. Please pray for cancer patients, especially those who have endured months of painful torture and medication. As they lay upon their beds, suffering, tell them of Jesus. Whisper His Name and help them feel at peace. Tell them of Jesus our savior, so that they may also be saved and so that they can receive Him, just as the criminal accepted Jesus as he hung on the cross. May you allow them to feel God’s boundless love despite their pain and despair and remind them of His priceless gift before it’s too late. 

Give comfort to the families of the dying. Hold them close as they weep for the dying, and assure them that while their eventual death may be heartbreaking, they will soon meet again in a joyous reunion in heaven with the Lord. May this experience lead them closer to the Lord. 

Saint Joseph, pray for them. 

Further reflection

“Rescue the perishing, care for the dying; Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.” This is the line from the hymn ‘Rescue the Perishing’, which talks about how the dying can be saved. Upon the first time hearing it, we may think of a miracle: a healed body, a negative test, a successful surgery, or another decade of life. However, the true meaning behind it is not earthly salvation but a heavenly one. 

God sent His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to earth so He could save us. While He was still here, he did a great multitude of good works and miracles, like healing the sick, helping the poor, bringing the dead back to life, turning water into wine, walking on water, feeding thousands, and more. These miraculous acts either earned Him faithful followers or gained Him new enemies. Although He healed the sick and brought the dead back to life, the blessings did not end there. He not only gave people earthly hope but a heavenly one. The people He saved are not only temporarily healed and rescued but will live an eternal life in paradise with Him one day. The gift He gave them was not just healing from their sicknesses, but an eternal life with God…if they only put their faith and trust in Him as their Lord and savior. 

Whenever we are reminded of the suffering that is left in the world, or the terminal illnesses that still have no cure, remember to offer a prayer for those who do not have long left on this earth. Pray for God’s healing miracle, and then pray for their comfort and peace. Death may be a saddening thought but have peace that they will soon be free from the illness and death that has been slowly creeping upon them and giving them so much pain. 

The best comfort a family can have after a loved one’s death is assurance–assurance that their loved one is saved and that they will meet again in a happy, heavenly reunion very soon. 

When we tearfully offer a prayer for the terminally ill with our loved one in mind, we often ask for a miracle: a healing cure, added years, or the right doctor and medicine. And when we don’t get what we originally prayed for, we feel disappointed, sometimes even doubting God’s love, mercy, and goodness. But what we don’t realize is that God did grant the miracle we prayed for. To be given the opportunity to spend eternity in paradise–an eternity void of sorrow and suffering–that is the greatest miracle of all.