A 7-Day Prayer Plan for the Hard Days of Grief
When your child dies, even prayer can feel difficult. You may want to be close to God and still find yourself distracted, angry, afraid, numb, exhausted, or simply unable to find the words.
Stay With Me, Jesus is a 24-page Catholic, trauma-informed prayer companion created especially for parents grieving the death of a child. Designed to be brought into Eucharistic Adoration or used during quiet personal prayer, this resource gently helps you bring the whole of your grief—body, mind, heart, and soul—into the presence of Christ.
Over seven reflections, you will pray through some of the experiences that can make grief especially difficult: feeling overwhelmed, losing your sense of safety, feeling alone, wrestling with guilt and “what ifs,” facing exhaustion, struggling in faith, and learning to hold hope without rushing your grief. Each day includes Scripture, a longer reflection, a practical grief-support skill, space to bring what is true directly to Jesus, and a closing prayer.
This is not a seven-day program for “getting better.” You do not have to complete the days consecutively, answer every question, or finish every reflection. You are encouraged to move slowly, repeat what is helpful, pause when something feels like too much, and allow even a simple prayer—Jesus, stay with me—to be enough.
The practical exercises offer gentle tools for recognizing grief activators, reconnecting with the present moment, sorting through fearful thoughts, making overwhelming days smaller, asking for support, and identifying one faithful next step. The resource also includes guidance for seeking additional spiritual, pastoral, or trauma-informed professional support when needed.
You do not need to leave these pages with fewer tears or all of your questions answered. This companion simply creates a place to bring your grief into the presence of Jesus and allow Him to remain with you in the places that still hurt.
© 2026 Red Bird Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.
This purchase grants one individual parish a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to print and use this resource for pastoral care and ministry within that parish.
The purchasing parish may print copies of this resource as needed for families directly served by that parish and for approved parish leaders or volunteers providing bereavement support.
This license does not permit the digital file to be copied, emailed, uploaded, posted online, shared, reproduced, or distributed to another parish, mission, school, ministry site, or organization, including those within the same diocese. The resource may not be resold, altered, republished, or incorporated into another program without written permission from Red Bird Ministries.
Each parish must obtain its own license. Dioceses wishing to provide this resource across multiple parishes must obtain a separate diocesan license from Red Bird Ministries.
Purchase of this resource grants permission for use only; all copyrights and ownership remain with Red Bird Ministries, Inc.
A 7-Day Prayer Plan for the Hard Days of Grief
When your child dies, even prayer can feel difficult. You may want to be close to God and still find yourself distracted, angry, afraid, numb, exhausted, or simply unable to find the words.
Stay With Me, Jesus is a 24-page Catholic, trauma-informed prayer companion created especially for parents grieving the death of a child. Designed to be brought into Eucharistic Adoration or used during quiet personal prayer, this resource gently helps you bring the whole of your grief—body, mind, heart, and soul—into the presence of Christ.
Over seven reflections, you will pray through some of the experiences that can make grief especially difficult: feeling overwhelmed, losing your sense of safety, feeling alone, wrestling with guilt and “what ifs,” facing exhaustion, struggling in faith, and learning to hold hope without rushing your grief. Each day includes Scripture, a longer reflection, a practical grief-support skill, space to bring what is true directly to Jesus, and a closing prayer.
This is not a seven-day program for “getting better.” You do not have to complete the days consecutively, answer every question, or finish every reflection. You are encouraged to move slowly, repeat what is helpful, pause when something feels like too much, and allow even a simple prayer—Jesus, stay with me—to be enough.
The practical exercises offer gentle tools for recognizing grief activators, reconnecting with the present moment, sorting through fearful thoughts, making overwhelming days smaller, asking for support, and identifying one faithful next step. The resource also includes guidance for seeking additional spiritual, pastoral, or trauma-informed professional support when needed.
You do not need to leave these pages with fewer tears or all of your questions answered. This companion simply creates a place to bring your grief into the presence of Jesus and allow Him to remain with you in the places that still hurt.
© 2026 Red Bird Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved.
This purchase grants one individual parish a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to print and use this resource for pastoral care and ministry within that parish.
The purchasing parish may print copies of this resource as needed for families directly served by that parish and for approved parish leaders or volunteers providing bereavement support.
This license does not permit the digital file to be copied, emailed, uploaded, posted online, shared, reproduced, or distributed to another parish, mission, school, ministry site, or organization, including those within the same diocese. The resource may not be resold, altered, republished, or incorporated into another program without written permission from Red Bird Ministries.
Each parish must obtain its own license. Dioceses wishing to provide this resource across multiple parishes must obtain a separate diocesan license from Red Bird Ministries.
Purchase of this resource grants permission for use only; all copyrights and ownership remain with Red Bird Ministries, Inc.
