There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance… (Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NIV)
The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a season for everything under heaven.
My mom says that deaths come in multiples of three.
I think both can be true.
Last week, I had three conversations with people who are losing—or have already lost—loved ones.
The first was with a man whose wife has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. She may seem perfectly normal in conversations with friends, yet she can no longer remember how to close the car door or where to look in her purse for her house keys. Her husband lovingly cares for her, protecting her from situations that might leave her confused or uncomfortable.
The second conversation brought news about a man whose daughters are friends of mine. He and his wife lovingly cared for our children when they were young. He was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago, and last weekend he made the decision to return home for hospice care. His wife and daughters are surrounding him with love and making sure he has everything he needs.
Finally, I learned that a man who had struggled with a serious diagnosis and raised money to seek treatment at Mayo Clinic was released into heaven this week. He was surrounded by his loving wife and sister and his three young adult children. The hope placed in that treatment was ultimately overtaken by complications his physical body could not overcome.
All three of these people are believers, so I do not fear for their eternal destinies.
But I hurt for their families.
Every chapter of life has its joys and sorrows, its triumphs and struggles. Yet there is something particularly poignant about the final chapter of life. We humans often fight against or fear the end of our earthly lives, especially when we have experienced success, power, or prestige. We may try to extend our lives through every means available—even imagining a future in which technology might someday restore our bodies.
But the reality remains: each of us will eventually join the generations who have already left this earthly life.
“There is a time to be born, and a time to die.”
It is a foundational truth of human existence.
For those who belong to Christ, however, death is not the end. It is a passage from this life into the presence of the One who has redeemed us.
Today, let us pray for those walking through this final chapter of earthly life—for those who are dying, for those who are caring for them, and for those who will be left behind when their loved ones are released into the arms of Jesus.
God,
Thank You for the beauty of life You have given us and for the hope of eternity You offer us. Thank You that You are present in every season of life. Help us to recognize Your presence, and teach us to number our days so that we may gain hearts of wisdom.
Today, we intercede for those who are living the final chapter of their earthly lives. We pray that Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, would guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. As they are able, help them to release unforgiveness and bitterness, confess their sins, and enter eternity with hearts that are at peace with You and with others.
Help them know, deep within their souls, how greatly You love them and how precious they are to You. Remind them that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” and give them the joy of looking forward to the day when there will be no more sorrow, suffering, pain, or tears. Help them finish well the race You have given them to run in this life, trusting You every step of the way.
We also intercede for the caregivers who are walking alongside those in this final chapter of life. Where possible, help them forgive, release unmet expectations, and let go of anything that prevents them from fully loving and enjoying this precious time with their loved one. Give them a supernatural awareness of Your presence, grace, strength, and peace.
Provide every resource they need—physical, financial, emotional, and relational—so they can care for their loved one with dignity, honor, patience, and love. We also pray for the professionals who serve these families, particularly those in hospice and other medical fields. Give them wisdom, compassion, skill, and respect, and use their guidance to bring comfort and practical help during this difficult season.
Finally, we pray for those who are grieving or who will soon experience the loss of someone they love. We thank You for the assurance that those who die in the Lord may be absent from the body but are present with You. What a comfort it is to know that death does not separate Your children from You.
Thank You that You walk with us through the valley of the shadow of death, and that Your rod and staff—Your protection, comfort, and guidance—are with us.
Help those who grieve to hold tightly to the truth that they do not grieve as those who have no hope, because You are their hope. Surround them with family, friends, churches, and others who can minister to them in practical, emotional, and spiritual ways as they walk this road of grief.
Be especially near to those who are brokenhearted and close to those who mourn. Carry them when they are too weary to walk, comfort them when the grief is overwhelming, and remind them that You will never leave them.
We ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus.
AMEN.
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his faithful servants. (Psalm 116:15 NIV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 NIV)
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4 NIV)
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NIV)
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race,I have kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7 NIV)
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV)
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. (Psalm 23:4 KJV)
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NIV)
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18 NIV)
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 KJV)
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10 NIV)
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)