A Graveside Committal Prayer

Lord of heaven and earth, we stand at this graveside to do the hardest thing love ever asks: to let go of a hand we have held for so long.

The earth will keep the body, but You, O God, keep the soul. As we commit our loved one to the ground — earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust — we commit them also into Your everlasting arms, trusting that death does not have the last word, because You have already spoken a better one.

Thank You for every day we were given. Forgive us the things we wish we had said, and let nothing left unsaid come between us and Your peace.

Stay close as we turn to walk away, for that first step is the heaviest of all. Go home with each one of us, and be our companion in the long days of missing them.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

This prayer is written for the final moments at the graveside, just before or after the casket is lowered. It can be read by a minister, a family member, or anyone the family asks. Read it slowly; silence around the words is part of the prayer.

A Verse to Hold On To

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." — 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (KJV)