A Prayer to Not Be Fearful of Death
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Listen or Read Below:
Lately, I have struggled with feelings of constant fear to the point where nothing feels safe anymore. I'm always afraid something will happen to my loved ones and that I won't be able to do anything to prevent them from getting hurt. My therapist shared with me that this is a trauma response, which developed after my mom passed away.
Ever since I lost her, I have been terrified that another one of my family members will pass away. It was hard enough to cope with the death of my mom, but I fear I wouldn’t be able to handle another loss like that again. While I understand that death is inevitable, I try to block it out of my mind. I don't want to attend another funeral or suffer the deep, excruciating pain in my heart after a loved one leaves this life.
My mom passed away during my freshman year of college. It was hard enough to get out of bed in the morning, let alone complete all my schoolwork on time. Many of the professors were supportive during this time, and three female professors even came to my family’s home on the day my mom passed away to talk to us. What these three women did on that day will stay with me forever. They prayed with my sister and me, and they helped us to remember that our mom was now in Heaven with Jesus, finally free from pain.
No family member can cross to the other side with us, but I have found it is helpful to know that Jesus will be with us. Whether I pass away first or one of my family members does, Jesus will be with us. He will safely bring us to Heaven, and we will all be reunited one day. Although it will be painful in this world, one day all of the suffering will end, and we will see our loved ones again.
God tells us, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Despite the fear that we are holding on to, we need to trust God. He is with us, He will strengthen us, and He will uphold us.
We never need to doubt the love, protection, and safety of our wonderful God. The world is a scary place, but God is more powerful and mighty than anything in this world, including the devil, his demons, and death. Trust God with the future and never fall prey to the darkness. The darkness will try to convince us that there is no hope, but there is always hope in the Lord.
Let's Pray:
Dear God,
I ask You to help me not to fear death in this fearful world. There are many things that frighten me in this world, and I'm terrified of something happening to my family. Despite all of these fears, help me to trust in You. I know You are with me, You will strengthen me, and You will uphold me by Your righteous right hand. I give all of my fears over to You, and I trust You with my life as well as the lives of my loved ones. I no longer want to live in fear. I want to live in the true freedom of Your love and to know that I will be reunited with You and my family in Heaven. Even when the days are full of darkness, I will trust in You. Please bring light into my life again, God. Thank you.
In Your Name, I pray, Amen.
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Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/RUNSTUDIO
Vivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.
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