A Prayer for When Grief Comes in Waves

Lord, I thought I was doing better. Then a song came on, or I found the handwriting, or I reached for the phone to call them — and the wave hit, and I am underwater again.

Thank You that I do not have to explain this to You. You do not ask why I am not over it. You do not check the calendar and decide my sorrow has gone on too long. Grief is not a straight road, and You know it. You made hearts that love this deeply.

So steady me in this wave, Lord. Hold my head above the water. Remind me that the wave always passes — it has before, and it will again — and that You are with me both in it and after it.

Let me stop grading my own grief. A hard day after a good week is not a failure. It is love, still speaking. Keep me patient with myself, the way You are patient with me.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this on the ambush days — when a memory surfaces out of nowhere, months or years after a loss, and knocks the wind out of you. Waves like these are a normal part of grief; if they ever feel too big to face alone, a grief counselor can help you carry them.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?" — Psalm 56:8 (KJV)