How to Pray for Someone Who Is Dying
A prayer for the dying is a simple way to show your love and a way to ask God for mercy, peace, and His presence for someone nearing the end.
If you want to know how to pray for someone who is dying as a healthcare worker, you do not need a perfect script. Instead, relying on the language God gave us in the Scriptures is all we need.
Key Takeaways
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Begin by asking a simple, respectful question, “Would it be alright if I prayed for you?”
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Even when a patient’s faith is unknown, offering a prayer for the dying can bring comfort because it communicates your love for them.
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When words are hard to find, reading directly from the Psalms provides clear, Scripture-rooted language for how to pray for someone who is dying.
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Psalm 23 offers reassurance of God’s presence and comfort in the face of death, making it a grounding prayer when fear is near.
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Psalm 51 reminds patients that God’s mercy is abundant, giving those who feel regret or guilt a hopeful prayer of repentance and renewal.
Start with The Quiet Question That Opens the Door
When a patient is dying, the room can feel heavy in a way that is hard to explain. You might want to pray, but you may also worry about crossing a line.
A simple question can help open the door: “Would it be alright if I prayed for you?”
If they say yes, you can offer a short prayer for the dying right there. If they say no, you can still pray for them later on your own.
Ministering to someone who is dying can feel like a delicate moment, but if you are feeling hesitant, just remember that it is out of our love for them that we should pray and share the truth with them.
Remember That Comfort Still Matters When Faith Is Unknown
You do not have to assume the patient is a believer to offer a prayer for the dying. Many people who do not claim faith still find comfort in being prayed for because prayer shows you love for them.
Even so, dying can bring mental and emotional shifts that affect how a person responds. Confusion, agitation, withdrawal, or sudden fear can appear with little warning. It helps to expect that possibility and to stay calm when it happens.
Just be patient and continue to show them your love through your care.
Use Prayers from the Psalms to Help Give You the Words You Need
In a high-pressure moment, you may not know what to say. That is one reason the Psalms are such a gift. You can read them slowly, or you can speak them as prayer, line by line.
Below are three Psalm passages that work well as a prayer for the dying.
1. A Prayer for the Dying When Fear Is Close (Psalm 23:1–4)
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
This prayer for the dying gives comfort in the midst of death. If the patient is alert, you can ask if they want you to read it again later.
2. A Prayer for the Dying When Grief Is Heavy (Psalm 34:18)
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”
This is an encouraging prayer you can share with the patient. You can even write it down for them to keep on hand.
3. A Prayer for the Dying When Forgiveness Is Wanted (Psalm 51:1, 10)
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions…Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
As the end draws near, some patients begin to speak about regret. Others grow quiet but carry a visible weight. Psalm 51 makes for a powerful prayer for the dying because it does not deny sin, and it does not deny mercy either.
This is a prayer of repentance, but it is also a declaration that God’s love is steadfast and His mercy abundant. If a patient expresses guilt, fear, or a desire to make peace, you can read these verses slowly and explain the story behind them.
Even for someone unsure of what they believe, hearing that God is rich in mercy can steady the heart. And if they want to pray along, Psalm 51 gives them language that is honest and hopeful at the same time.
Pray Throughout The Day
One short prayer at the bedside matters, but you can also carry the person with you through your day. A prayer for health and for the dying does not need a room number attached to it.
Pray while you wash your hands. Pray while you chart. Pray when you step outside for a breath.
You can also read Scripture passages about healing to help give more language to your prayers.
A Next Step If You Feel Drawn to Hard Moments
If you find that prayer for the dying is not just something you do, but something that weighs on you in a meaningful way, it may be worth exploring places where both medical skill and spiritual steadiness are needed most. In times of crisis, disaster settings often bring you face-to-face with people confronting loss, trauma, and mortality all at once.
Consider serving in disaster relief missions that allow healthcare workers to serve in those fragile spaces, offering both competent care and loving presence.
Related Questions
What prayer do people say before dying?
Many Christians take comfort in praying Psalm 23 or Jesus’ words in Luke 23:46 as they entrust themselves to God.
How do you say goodbye when someone is dying?
Say goodbye with simple gratitude and a gentle presence, letting them know that they are loved.
What is a simple prayer for the sick and dying?
Psalm 34:18 is a short prayer that reminds the suffering that God is near to the brokenhearted.
What’s the best way to comfort the dying?
Offer a steady presence, ask permission to pray, and share the good news of the Gospel with them.
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