For Thanksgiving, Christmas and every hard day between

Grieving During the Holidays: Prayers and Bible Verses

For the empty chair, the first holiday without them, and the ache that comes back every year.

The holidays are built around the people at the table. So when someone is missing, everything that is supposed to feel warm can feel sharp: the place setting, the recipe only they made, the song in the store, the photos everyone else is posting.

If that is where you are this year, you are not doing the holidays wrong. Grief is love with nowhere to go, and it tends to get louder when the calendar says you should be happy. Jesus didn’t rush people out of grief. At his friend’s grave, he wept with them.

“Jesus wept.”
John 11:35 (NIV)

This page is a quiet place to sit for a few minutes. Take the prayers that help and leave the rest.

Prayers for grieving during the holidays

A prayer for the empty chair at Thanksgiving

Lord, there is an empty chair at our table this year, and it is all I can see. Thank you for the years we had with them. Thank you for their laugh, their stories and the way they made this day feel like home. I don’t know how to be grateful and heartbroken at the same time, so I’m bringing you both. Sit with us at this table. Hold the people who miss them as much as I do. Give us grace for the quiet moments and permission to smile when something reminds us of them. Amen.

A Christmas prayer when you miss someone

Jesus, you came into a world full of sorrow, as Immanuel, God with us. Be with me now. The lights and songs feel far away from where my heart is this year. I miss them, Lord. Hold the memories I’m afraid of losing, and hold me when the memories hurt. Let the hope of Christmas be bigger than this day, and remind me that you came for people who are grieving. Amen.

A short prayer for the morning of the holiday

Father, today will be hard. Give me enough strength for this morning, and I will ask you again this afternoon. Help me be gentle with myself and honest with the people around me. Amen.

A table grace when someone is missing

Lord, we thank you for this food and for the people around this table. We also remember the one who isn’t here. We miss them. Thank you for the love they gave us, which is still in this room. Comfort every heart here that is hurting, and hold us together. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Tip: it’s okay to say their name. Most families are relieved when someone does.

A prayer when you can’t feel any joy this year

God, everyone keeps telling me it’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I feel nothing but tired. I won’t pretend with you. You are close to the brokenhearted, so be close to me. I don’t need to feel joy today to know that you are still good and still here. When joy comes back, let it come gently. Until then, carry me. Amen.

A prayer for the first holiday without them

Lord, this is the first one. The first Thanksgiving, the first Christmas, the first time I’ll notice all the things they used to do. I’m afraid of how much it will hurt. Go before me into these days. Show me which traditions to keep and which ones can rest for now. Send people who will let me talk about them. And when the day is over, let me rest in you. Amen.

A prayer for a friend who is grieving

Father, my friend is hurting this season. Wrap them in your comfort in a way that I can’t. Give me the courage to reach out, the wisdom to listen more than I talk, and the faithfulness to keep showing up after the holidays are over. Amen.

For more, the full prayer for grief has prayers for the first days and the long months after a loss.

Bible verses for grief during the holidays

Read one slowly. Write it on a card and keep it in your pocket for the day itself.

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 (NIV)

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”
Isaiah 43:2 (NIV)

“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)

“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5b (NIV)

“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.”
Revelation 21:4 (NIV)

Looking for more? See Bible verses about hope for dark days, or print the free Bible verse cards.

Small, practical steps for the holidays

Lower the bar on purpose. You don’t have to host, cook everything or attend every event. Choose the one or two things that matter most this year.
Plan the hard hours. Think through the day hour by hour. Which moment will hurt most? Decide ahead of time what you’ll do then: step outside, call a friend, pray.
Have an exit plan. Drive yourself, or agree on a signal with someone you trust, so you can leave early without explaining.
Say their name. Share a favorite story at the table, or ask everyone to share one. Silence about them often hurts more than remembering.
Keep one tradition, change one. Keeping everything the same can feel unbearable; changing everything can feel like losing them again. Try one of each.
Make a small place for them. Light a candle, cook their recipe, hang their ornament, or set out a photo. A small, intentional act gives grief somewhere to go.
Write them a letter. Tell them what this year has been like. Read it at the grave, keep it in your Bible, or give it to God in prayer.
Let people help, specifically. When someone says “let me know if you need anything,” give them a real job: a dish, a ride, a phone call on the hard day.
Go outside and move. A short walk, especially in daylight, can soften the weight of a long day indoors.
Mute what you need to. It’s okay to step away from social media for a few weeks if happy photos are hard to see right now.
Expect waves. Grief often hits hardest in the days before a holiday, not on the day itself. That is normal.
Rest is allowed. Go to bed early. Skip the party. Taking care of your body is not a lack of faith.

If you’re supporting someone who is grieving

Say their loved one’s name. You won’t remind them of the loss; they haven’t forgotten.
Invite them, with no pressure. “We’d love to have you, and it’s okay if you need to leave early or say no.”
Skip the quick fixes. “I’m so sorry. I miss them too” is better than an explanation.
Mark the date. A text on the hard day, and again in January when everyone else has moved on, means more than you think.
Pray for them by name, and tell them you are. You can also add a request on the Prayer Wall.

You don’t have to grieve alone

Grief is not something to get over by a deadline, but you also weren’t meant to carry it by yourself. Please reach out to your pastor or a trusted person at church this season. Many churches offer grief support groups around the holidays, and a licensed grief counselor can help if the weight is not lifting or daily life feels impossible.

If you are in crisis or thinking about ending your life, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US) or contact local emergency services now. You are not a burden, and you do not have to carry this alone.

On nights when it’s hard to sleep, the night prayer and prayer for loneliness may help. For music on the long evenings, try worship songs for hard times.