Death of a Pet Prayer or Pet Memorial Prayer
The death of a pet prayer or pet memorial prayer is for all of us who grieve after experiencing the death of a beloved pet. This death of a pet prayer will enable us to thank God for the joy our pet brought to our lives and the sorrow and void that we now feel upon the death of our beloved pet.
You can use this death of a pet prayer in your own personal prayer times to gain God’s comfort.
It can also be used as a pet memorial prayer with family and friends when you gather in remembrance for your pet.
Death of a Pet Prayer or Pet Memorial Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today with sadness and a sense of great loss over the death of our beloved pet. We thank you that our pet was such a wonderful part of our family for so many years. We thank you that they were a faithful companion, a dependable protector and a comfort to us when we were alone or upset.
We thank you for showing us through our pet so many positive qualities that we need to cultivate. May we be like them in showing loyalty to others, enthusiastic delight in welcoming others into our world, trust in your daily provisions for us, obedience to the Master and the ability to unconditionally love others.
We thank you for the ways our pet entertained us with their antics and playfulness, helping ease our stress and reminding us that You created playfulness as a wonderful gift of life. Thank you for the way our pet allowed us to show our affection to them and how they returned our affection in their enthusiastic body language and their desire to sit at our feet or in our lap, just because they wanted to be near us.
Most of all, thank you that our pets showed us something of the mystery of our spiritual connections with you our God, the one we call Master. We are such different creatures from You, Oh God, yet we are still somehow able to be totally immersed in a loving relationship together. We marvel as we meditate on the example of our relationship with our pet that very different beings can enjoy nurturing fellowship and caring communication that needs no formal language.
I pray that when my heart feels ready again, that you will guide me in your wisdom as to whether it is time for me to think about adopting another pet. Although no pet could ever replace my beloved lost pet, make me open to your possibilities if there is another pet out there in the world who needs me as much as I need them.
And now Father, we claim what you said in the Bible that “They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:3,4 NIV) We thank you that “every tear” covers the tears we have shed at the loss of our pet. Thank you for caring for every detail of our lives. In the name of Jesus, our Master and Teacher we pray, Amen.
About this Death of a Pet Prayer or Pet Memorial Prayer
One of the most painful deaths of a pet I experienced was when our dog Barney died while I was away at college. I got the bad news over the phone when I called home. It was a sudden death, which made it even harder to handle.
That night at college I went out with a guy I had been dating. When I told him about Barney dying, I started crying. Either my date wasn’t a pet owner and didn’t get the bond we have with our pets or he was uncomfortable around people being emotional. Whatever the case, he said all the wrong things. “Come on. He was just a dog. You can always get another one. You’ll get over it.”
After my date dropped me off in front of my dorm, I was still really upset and decided to walk to the chapel on campus to compose myself. When I got to the chapel I opened the door to find it empty except for one young man up front who was kneeling and praying out loud from a prayer book.
I sat on the back row until I had finished crying. Then I went up to the young man to apologize to him for disturbing him. He looked a bit embarrassed and explained, “I hope you don’t think this is strange, but I was praying the prayers for the sick from this book for my dog Missy back home. She’s in labor having puppies and she’s in trouble and if she doesn’t have them soon, she’ll die.”
I told him I totally understood because my dog Barney had died that day. I even haltingly prayed a few words for Missy before I left him.
It was a huge university and I never saw Missy’s owner again, but the next day I found a note on the chapel bulletin board with my name on it, It said Missy had her puppies and was doing fine.
From this experience I learned that God cares about whatever matters to us most, including the welfare of our pets and our grief, sorrow and loneliness when they die.
God is indeed there to comfort us and walk with us during our times of grief.
Other useful articles
Copyright Karen Barber 2014. All rights reserved.
