How to Pray When You’re Grieving: 5 Day Devotional
Grief is one of the heaviest burdens we bear. It doesn’t just affect our emotions—it weighs on our soul. When we lose someone we love, experience deep disappointment, or watch a dream shatter, we may feel overwhelmed, lost, or even numb.
But God has not left us alone in our grief. The book of Job gives us a roadmap for how to pray when we are suffering. Job teaches us four powerful ways to pray in grief:
Start with worship – Anchoring our hearts in God’s presence.
Be honest with God – Bringing our raw emotions before Him.
Cling to God’s sovereignty – Trusting Him even when we don’t understand.
Ask God to restore – Believing that He can redeem our pain.
Each day of this devotional will walk through these steps, offering scripture, reflection, prayer prompts, and journaling questions. This is a journey toward healing and hope. Let’s begin.
This devotional is based off the sermon How to Pray When You’re Grieving.
Day 1: Start with Worship - Worship is the Anchor in Grief
Scripture: Job 1:20-21
"At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.’”
Reflection:
Job had just lost everything—his wealth, his security, and most painfully, his children. His response? He worshiped. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t devastated. His grief was raw, and he outwardly expressed his sorrow by tearing his robe and shaving his head. But in that pain, he chose to anchor himself in God’s goodness.
Grief tempts us to turn inward, to focus on our pain and let sorrow consume us. Worship, however, is a declaration that our circumstances do not define God’s goodness. Worship shifts our eyes from our loss to the One who holds us in the middle of it. It doesn’t ignore pain; it acknowledges that God is still present in the pain.
Worship is not about pretending everything is okay. Job wasn’t okay. But he knew that God had not changed, even though his world had. When we worship in grief, we remind our hearts of who God is—faithful, good, and sovereign.
This doesn’t mean worship is easy in grief. Some days, worship feels impossible. But worship is not about our feelings; it’s about our foundation. When life feels like shifting sand, worship keeps us anchored. Worship may not remove the storm, but it reminds us that God is in the boat with us.
Even if today all you can whisper is, “God, I trust You,” that’s worship. Even if your heart is broken, and all you can do is sit in His presence, that’s worship. The storm of grief is real, but so is your anchor. Will you choose to worship today, even in your pain?
Principle #1: Worship is the anchor that keeps you from drifting into despair.
Prayer Prompt:
"Lord, I don’t understand why I’m going through this, but I choose to worship You. Even in my pain, I declare that You are good. Hold me steady when my heart is breaking. Amen."
Journal & Reflect:
How does worship change your perspective in grief?
What is one truth about God that you can declare today?
Day 2: Be Honest with God – He Can Handle Your Pain
Scripture: Job 3:20-2
"Why is life given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come?"
Reflection:
Job didn’t hold back his emotions. He didn’t pretend to be okay. He poured out his pain before God honestly and unfiltered. He asked hard questions, he expressed his suffering without fear, and he didn’t try to sugarcoat how he felt. And God didn’t rebuke him for it.
There’s a false belief that Christians should always pray “the right way,” as if God only listens to polished prayers full of faith. But God isn’t looking for religious performance—He’s looking for honesty. He already knows what’s in your heart. He already sees your brokenness, your questions, and your doubts. The only way to begin healing is to bring your raw emotions to Him.
Pain that is not processed with God becomes pain that festers. When we hold in our grief, it doesn’t go away—it just buries itself deeper into our souls. But when we bring our broken hearts to God, we invite Him into our suffering. Job teaches us that it’s okay to cry out, to ask questions, and even to wrestle with God.
Honesty is not a lack of faith—it’s an act of faith. It says, “God, I trust You enough to bring You my unfiltered heart. I trust You enough to be real with You.”
Some of us have been holding back because we think God only wants our best prayers. But God wants the real you—the hurting you, the confused you, the weary you. What have you been holding back? Are you willing to be completely honest with God today?
Principle #2: God can handle your honesty. Your pain is safe in His presence.
Prayer Prompt:
"God, I don’t have the right words, and I don’t understand why I’m walking through this. But I bring You my pain. Help me not to carry it alone. Amen."
Journal & Reflect:
Have you been holding back your real emotions from God?
What do you need to be honest with Him about today?
Day 3: Cling to God’s Sovereignty – Trust Him Even When You Don’t Understand
Scripture: Job 13:15
"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him."
Reflection:
Job didn’t understand what God was doing, but he refused to let go of his faith. His trust wasn’t in his circumstances—it was in who God is.
Some of us have a conditional faith: “I’ll trust God as long as my life goes well.” But Job’s faith was unconditional. He said, “Even if everything falls apart, I will still trust Him.”
We don’t have to understand God’s plan to trust God’s character. Clinging to Him doesn’t mean we have all the answers—it means we believe He is still in control, even when life feels out of control.
Right now, you might feel like your faith is being tested. Maybe your loss feels unbearable, and you’re struggling to see how anything good could come from this. That’s exactly where Job was. But instead of running from God, he held on even tighter.
Trusting God in grief is not about liking what is happening. It’s about refusing to let your pain drive you away from the only One who can heal you. Faith doesn’t ignore suffering—it trusts that God is sovereign over it. Your suffering is not the end of your story.
Will you hold onto God even when life doesn’t make sense?
Principle #3: Faith is holding onto God even when you don’t understand His plan.
Prayer Prompt:
"God, I don’t understand Your plan, but I trust You. Even in my grief, I put my hope in You. Hold me steady when I feel like falling. Amen."
Journal & Reflect:
Are you holding onto faith, or are you struggling with doubt?
What would it look like to trust God even when you don’t have answers?
Day 4: Ask God to Restore – Your Pain is Not the End of Your Story
Scripture: Job 42:10
"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before."
Reflection:
Grief can feel endless. When we are in pain, it’s hard to imagine a future that looks any different. But Job’s story reminds us that grief is not the end of the story—God’s restoration is.
Let’s be clear: Restoration does not mean everything goes back to how it was. Job didn’t get his first children back. His pain wasn’t erased. But God did something new. He healed, redeemed, and gave Job a future.
Some of us think that healing from grief means forgetting. It doesn’t. Healing means that God takes what is broken and creates something beautiful out of it. Restoration is not about getting back what was lost—it’s about God making something new with what remains.
The Bible is full of stories of God restoring broken people:
Joseph was betrayed, imprisoned, and forgotten—but God raised him up to save a nation.
Naomi lost her husband and sons—but God gave her a new family through Ruth.
The disciples thought the cross was the end—but Jesus rose again.
God is in the business of restoring broken things. That includes your grief, your heart, and your future.
But here’s what we must learn from Job: Restoration happens when we trust God even before we see the outcome. Job worshiped before he was restored. He prayed for others before his circumstances changed. He trusted that God was still writing his story, even when it felt like it was over.
Your grief is not the final word—God is. What if, instead of holding onto despair, you started praying for restoration? What if you asked God to take your pain and use it for something beautiful?
Restoration doesn’t always come in the way we expect, and it may not come on our timeline. But God is always faithful. He does not waste pain. He redeems it.
Principle #4: God’s plan for your life is bigger than your pain.
Prayer Prompt:
"Lord, I trust that You are working, even when I don’t see it. I ask You to restore my heart, my faith, and my joy. Take what is broken and make it beautiful in Your hands. Amen."
Journal & Reflect:
Have you been praying for restoration, or have you assumed this pain is where your story ends?
In what areas of your life do you need to ask God for healing and renewal?
Day 5: The Ultimate Restoration—Jesus is the Answer to Our Grief
Scripture: Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Reflection:
One day, God will fully restore everything. Every pain, every tear, every loss will be made right. That is the hope we hold onto as believers.
Grief is real. Pain is real. But they do not get the final word. Jesus does.
Job’s story points us toward a greater story—the story of Jesus. Job’s suffering was great, but Jesus’ suffering was even greater. He chose to enter our broken world. He chose to carry our sin, our grief, and our suffering. He wept at Lazarus’ tomb. He cried out to the Father on the cross. Jesus knows grief. But He also conquered it.
Because of Jesus, we do not grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). The resurrection proves that God brings life out of death. The cross proves that our suffering is not meaningless. Jesus felt our pain, but He also overcame it—so that one day, we will never experience pain again.
Some of us need to be reminded today that heaven is real, and restoration is coming. One day, there will be no more loss. No more cancer. No more betrayal. No more graves. No more grief.
Maybe right now, your heart is too heavy to imagine that. Maybe the pain feels too close. But this is what faith does: it lifts our eyes toward eternity. It reminds us that our suffering is temporary, but God’s promises are eternal.
If you’re grieving today, know this: Jesus has already secured your restoration. One day, He will wipe away your tears forever. Until then, He holds you in your grief.
Principle #5: Grief doesn’t have the final word—God does.
Prayer Prompt:
"Jesus, thank You for carrying my grief. Thank You for the promise that one day, all pain will be gone. Help me to trust in Your eternal hope, even when my heart is heavy. Amen."
Journal & Reflect:
How does the promise of heaven change the way you see grief?
What is one area of your heart that you need to surrender to Jesus today?
