To lead the family in prayer and meditation.
(Adapted and blended from several prayer books.)
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In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord, remember us in your kingdom and teach us to pray (together):
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
O Lord God, our heavenly Father, look upon your servant _______, lying in great distress, and comfort him with the promise of life everlasting, the promise made sure by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Have mercy upon him, forgive him all his sins, defend him in the hour of death, and grant him a happy entrance into the joy and gladness of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord. Amen.
And/or
Almighty and Eternal God, heavenly Father, have compassion on the anxious sighs and groanings of this dying person. Deliver him from this anguish and distress. Comfort and strengthen him. Regard him with an eye of compassion. Do not let him be overwhelmed by any pains of body or any anguish of soul, but grant to him in this world your pardon and peace, and in the world to come, life everlasting. Take him to yourself in your kingdom that you have mercifully prepared for him and all believers; through your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Some, or all, of these Scripture passages may be read:
Psalm 23 (KJV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
John 10:27-28 — (Jesus said), “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will take them out of my hand.”
Romans 14:7-9 — For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
John 3:16-17 — (Jesus said), “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
John 14:1-3 – (Jesus said), “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am.”
II Corinthians 4:16-5:1 — Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
The NUNC DIMITTIS (from Luke 1:29-32): Lord, now you let your servant depart in peace according to your word.
For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people, a light to reveal you to all nations, and the glory of your people Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Someone may lay their hand on the head of the dying believer, as this blessing is said:
Go forth from this world, Child of God,
in the name of God the Father almighty who created you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who suffered for you,
in the name of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who sanctified you.
May you rest in peace and dwell forever with the Lord, our God, in Paradise. Amen.
BENEDICTION: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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When the soul has departed, one of these prayers may be said:
Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant _______. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. May his soul rest in peace. Amen.
Our kind and heavenly Father, you are our comfort and strength, in this and every time. You have given us _____ to know and to love in our pilgrimage on earth. We are grateful for his life and the ties that bind us to him and to each other. Uphold us now as we entrust him to your boundless love and eternal care. Look kindly upon us and we say good-bye ‘for now,’ and gather our pain into your peace. Be with us in our grieving and overcome all our doubts. Assure us that not even death can separate us from your infinite mercy. Deal graciously with us in our anguish, that we may truly know your sure and certain consolation, and learn to live in the confident hope of the resurrection. Awaken our gratitude for your gifts of life and love; teach us the lessons that can be learned in death; and when our last hour shall come, be the strength of our heart and our portion forever; in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
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