We are truly sorry to hear about the passing of your loved one. In this difficult time, we turn to the Word of God for comfort and guidance. We remember that Jesus Christ said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. John 11:25-26 WEB.
Firstly, we must clarify that the Bible teaches that the soul of a loved one is either in the presence of God or separated from God. There is no indication in Scripture that our prayers can change the eternal state of the departed.
Our focus of prayer should be for the living:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 WEB.
Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6 WEB.
So we pray for you and all those who are coping with this loss. We pray that you will find the assurance of his salvation and your own.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the name of Jesus Christ, lifting up those who are mourning the loss of their loved one. We pray that You will comfort them, give them peace, and help them to cast all their anxieties on You, because You care for them.
Lord, we ask that You will help them to trust in Your goodness and Your plan. We also pray that You will remind them of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ, and that even with questions and difficulties, You will be their ultimate source of strength.
Father, we ask for the assurance of salvation for the dearly departed and each person asking this request. We pray for the assurance that the deceased knew You as their Lord and Savior. We pray that death is swallowed up in victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Father, we also pray for the assurance that each person grieving knows You as their Lord and Savior. We pray that You will bring assurance to each of their hearts that we are only separated from our earthly body and we are in Your presence forever more.
Lord, help them to grieve with hope, remembering that for believers in Jesus, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Take comfort in the words of the Apostle Paul:
Brothers, we don't want you to be ignorant about those who have fallen asleep, so that you won't grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we tell you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left to the coming of the Lord, will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with God's trumpet. The dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. So we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 WEB.
Be assured that our prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time. Do not lose your faith or hope.