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Sitting with someone who is ill

Near the end of life

Hospice, palliative care, the last days

Sitting with someone near the end of their life is holy and hard. These psalms have been read at bedsides for thousands of years, and Jesus prayed one of them as He died.

Psalms to read aloud

Short, and chosen for a bedside. Open one to read it in large type, or to have it read aloud.

  1. Psalm 23

    Through the valley

    The shepherd does not take us around the dark valley but walks through it with us. Read it slowly, and let the familiar words carry you both.

  2. Psalm 31:1–5

    Into Your hands

    A prayer of trust for the very last hours. Verse 5 is the line Jesus prayed on the cross.

  3. Psalm 139:7–12

    Even the darkness

    There is nowhere we can go where God is not already there, not even into the dark.

  4. Psalm 73:23–26

    When flesh and heart fail

    Honest about a body that is failing, and sure of the One who holds our hand.

  5. Psalm 16:5–11

    The path of life

    A psalm of hope beyond death, with joy in God's presence at its end.

Short prayers

Written by our team for you to pray aloud or quietly. Say their name where you see (name).

  • When you sit down

    Lord Jesus, You know (name) by name. Thank You for their life, and for every good thing You have given us through them. Stay close to them now. Amen.

  • Into Your hands

    Father, we place (name) into Your hands. Take away fear, give them peace, and hold them fast. Lord Jesus, You went through death before us; do not leave them alone in it. Amen.

  • For the family

    Lord, comfort everyone who loves (name). Give us words when we need them, and quiet when we don't. Let no one here be alone. Amen.

For you

  • Speak as if they can hear

    People near the end may hear more than they can show. Speak gently, say their name, and say the things that matter.

  • You can simply sit

    At the very end, one line said over and over can be enough. Psalm 23 or the fifth verse of Psalm 31, and then quiet.

  • Grief is allowed

    Tears at a bedside are not a failure of faith. Jesus wept at the grave of His friend.

    Jesus wept.
    John 11:35BSB

  • Care for yourself too

    Drink some water, eat something, step outside for air. Jesus often went away to quiet places to pray.

    Yet He frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray.
    Luke 5:16BSB

  • Don't carry it alone

    Afterwards, tell someone how it was: a friend, a pastor, a counselor. If it gets too heavy, help is at the bottom of every page.

A different situation