WOC News & Updates

Prayers for Experiencing Grief

There are many ways people can be in grief and they all involve the same thing, loss. Most likely it will be the loss of a loved one but often it can involve a job or they could be going through a divorce or some other personal tragedy. The tricky thing in dealing with grief is helping them get through whatever stage they may be in. There are several stages to grief (some places say 7 others say 4) and they are not always linear. Often a person will cycle back to an earlier stage to resolve it.

Stages of Grief are: 4 stages

Shock and denial Intense Concern Despair and Depression Recovery

7 stages

Shock and denial Pain and guilt

Anger and bargaining

Depression, reflection and loneliness The upward turn

Reconstruction and working through Acceptance and hope

Possible things to pray for:

• Pray for them to experience God’s comfort
• Pray for people to be available to them to talk through their grief
• Encourage them to keep faith in God and what he can do
• Pray that God will help them with strength and courage to make it through this time
• Let them know that God does care for them

 Verses to share:

• Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

o    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)
  • “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from “

 Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

• • “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your will strengthen you and help you; Iwill uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

 Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

• • “Even though Iwalk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort “

 Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

• • “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in “