Praying for the Dead

As an act of love, I started praying for the dead a good many years ago.

The idea was basic: I prayed for them in life, so why not continue to pray for them after their death?

It's a simple prayer - I say their name, and then say, "Jesus my LORD."

I'm more conscious of this these days, as a number of the The Dead now are included in my daily prayer journal ... their names added before their death ... and upon their death, I add a Celtic Cross or a Star of David by their name.

Do the dead need our prayers?

I don't think so.

But might they want them?

I believe so.

And I believe that God, in some kind of a gracious way, passes on these prayers to those we loved in life, and those we continue to love even after their death.

As to their status?

They are before God, bathed in glory and cleansed with God's light ... in other words, they are at peace, at rest, content and hopeful, as none can be in this anxious existence. Their hope is pure, and completely centered in God's goodness, a virtue we can only dimly see and partially experience.

And for what do they hope?

Well, as the spiritual puts it, "that great gettin' up morning" when all is made new! As for this, they no longer see through a mirror dimly, so their hope is pure and without anxiety.

And I believe that as the Spirit of God communicates our prayers to them, there is added to their joy our joy in loving them, and so their own joy continues to grow, because eternity is dynamic and ever-expanding, much like the universe, world without end.

So, if you've ever wondered about praying for someone dead, let your heart lead ... as in life, so now in their death, pass on your love, and let God filter it as only God can do, to pass on to your loved ones the kindness and life of your heart.