Scattering ashes is often the last goodbye. The funeral is over and the people have gone home.
Now it’s just a few of you standing somewhere that mattered to them, holding an urn and wondering who should speak first.
If your family is one of faith then a prayer can make that moment feel more appropriate. It gives everyone a reason to take a pause together and it puts your loved one into God’s hands before you let the ashes go.
So we have these prayers for scattering ashes at sea, on a lake or river, in a garden, in the mountains and in the place they loved most. There are short prayers you can say in a breath, longer ones to read aloud, blessings, Bible verses and a few prayers for the people left standing there afterwards.
Change any of the wording you like and add their name wherever it fits. If you’d rather say something in your own words, our guide on what to say when scattering ashes has lots more ideas.
Short Prayers for Scattering Ashes
These are short enough to say just as the ashes are released when nobody really has the voice for anything longer. Put their name where you see [Name].
- Lord, we give [Name] back to you. Hold them close until we meet again. Amen
- Into your hands, O God, we release the one we love
- Go with God, [Name]. You are loved and you will be missed
- Heavenly Father, receive our loved one into your peace
- Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Rest in God’s arms, [Name]
- Lord, let this place be a place of peace for [Name] and for all of us who come here
- God of the wind and the water, carry our loved one home
- Thank you, Lord, for every year we had. We let them go with love
- May the God who made this beautiful place give [Name] eternal rest
- Jesus, keep them safe with you now. Amen
- Lord, we scatter their ashes but we keep their love. Bless us both
- Father, you know every grain of sand and every star. You know [Name] too
- Rest now in the arms of the Lord, where nothing can hurt you
- God, we’re not ready, but we trust you. Take good care of them
- Go in peace, [Name]. Until we see you again in God’s light
Prayers to Say Before the Ashes Are Scattered
These longer prayers work well to open the moment once everyone has gathered and before anyone opens the urn. One is usually enough. For a full running order our ash scattering ceremony script shows where a prayer fits.
An Opening Prayer
Loving God,
We stand here together to say goodbye to [Name].
We thank you for their life and for everything they gave us.
Be with us in these next few minutes.
Give us the courage to let go
and the faith to trust that they are safe with you.
Amen
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A Prayer of Committal
Gracious God,
We now commit the ashes of [Name]
to the earth, the air and the water you created.
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
in the sure hope of eternal life.
Receive them into your kingdom
and let your light shine on them forever.
Amen
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A Prayer of Thanks for Their Life
Heavenly Father,
Before we let [Name] go, we want to say thank you.
Thank you for their laugh and their stubborn streak,
for their hands that helped and their heart that loved.
We were lucky to know them.
We release them now to you with grateful hearts.
Amen
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A Prayer When There Are No Words
Lord,
None of us really knows what to say right now.
So we ask you to hear what’s in our hearts instead.
You know how much we loved [Name].
You know how much we’ll miss them.
Take them gently and hold them well.
Amen
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A Prayer for Letting Go
God of all comfort,
Letting go is the hardest thing you’ve asked of us.
We would keep [Name] here forever if we could.
But we know they belong to you,
as we all do in the end.
So we open our hands and give them back,
trusting that nothing is ever lost in your care.
Amen
Prayers for Scattering Ashes at Sea
If your loved one loved the ocean, fished, sailed or served in the Navy, a sea prayer feels right. Say it while the boat is still or you’re standing at the water’s edge. Our funeral poems for sailors can go well with these.
A Prayer at the Water’s Edge
Lord of the sea and sky,
We give [Name] to the waters they loved.
As the tide carries them out,
carry them home to you.
Let every wave that breaks on this shore
remind us that they are at peace
and that your love has no end.
Amen
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A Sailor’s Prayer
Father,
[Name] spent so many days on the water,
watching the horizon and reading the weather.
Now their last voyage is over.
Bring them safely into harbor
and let them rest in calm water forever.
Amen
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Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
By William Whiting
This is the first verse of the Navy Hymn, and it’s often read or sung at sea scatterings for veterans and anyone who worked on the water.
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A Prayer for Calm Water
God of the deep,
Still these waters for a moment
and still our hearts too.
We release [Name] into your care
and into the sea they loved.
Grant them rest and grant us peace.
Amen
Prayers for Scattering Ashes on a Lake or River
Lakes and rivers have their own feel. A river keeps moving, which some families find comforting. A lake is still and quiet, a place you can come back to.
A Prayer by the River
Lord,
This river has been flowing since long before any of us
and it will keep flowing long after.
We give [Name] to it now
and trust you to carry them on
to the peace you’ve promised.
Amen
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A Prayer at the Lake
Heavenly Father,
[Name] loved this lake.
The early mornings, the quiet, the ripple of a fish rising.
We bring them back here one last time
and give them into your keeping.
Whenever we sit here again, let us feel them near.
Amen
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A Prayer for the Current
God,
As the water takes these ashes downstream,
take [Name] into your arms.
Let the current carry away our heaviest sorrow
and leave behind the love.
Amen
Prayers for Scattering Ashes in a Garden
A backyard garden, a rose bed or a family farm can be a lovely place to scatter ashes, especially for someone who loved to grow things. These prayers talk about planting and new life.
A Gardener’s Prayer
Creator God,
[Name] knelt in this soil so many times,
planting, weeding and waiting for things to grow.
Now we return them to the earth they tended.
Bless this garden and everything that grows here.
Let every new bloom remind us of them
and of the life you promise beyond this one.
Amen
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A Prayer Among the Flowers
Lord,
You clothe the lilies of the field
and you knew [Name] even better than these.
Hold them in your care
as we lay them to rest among the flowers.
Amen
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A Prayer for New Life
God of every season,
We plant our grief here today
and trust you to grow something good from it.
Give [Name] eternal rest
and give us hope that spring always comes again.
Amen
Prayers for Scattering Ashes in the Mountains or Wind
For a hilltop, a trail or an open field, these prayers talk about the sky and the hills. Check which way the wind is blowing before you start and stand with it at your back.
A Prayer on the Mountain
Lord,
[Name] always said the view was worth the climb.
Here we are, a little out of breath,
standing where they stood so many times.
We give them to the wind and the open sky
and ask you to carry them the rest of the way.
Amen
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A Prayer to the Wind
Spirit of God,
You move like the wind,
and we can’t always see where you go.
Take [Name] with you now.
Let them be free and at rest
and let us feel them in every breeze.
Amen
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A Prayer for the Hills
Heavenly Father,
We lift our eyes to these hills
and remember that our help comes from you.
Watch over [Name] now
as you watched over every step they took here.
Amen
Prayers for a Favorite Place
Many families choose somewhere ordinary but full of meaning: a park bench, a ballfield, a fishing spot, the end of a pier. Before you go it’s worth reading up on what to do with ashes after cremation as some places need permission.
A Prayer for Their Place
Lord,
This was always [Name]’s place.
They came here to think, to rest and to be happy.
We bring them back here now with love.
Bless this spot and everyone who comes here after us.
Let it always feel a little like home.
Amen
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A Prayer for Coming Back
God,
We’ll come back here on birthdays and anniversaries
and on ordinary days when we just miss them.
Every time we do, meet us here.
Remind us that [Name] is with you
and that love doesn’t end.
Amen
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A Prayer for a Parent
Father in heaven,
[Name] gave us everything they had.
Today we give them back to you.
Thank you for the way they raised us
and the love they never ran out of.
Let them rest in your peace.
Amen
Blessings for Scattering Ashes
A blessing is a gentle way to close the moment, either just after the ashes have gone or as everyone turns to leave. For more like the one below see our Irish blessings for funerals and death.
Traditional Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Traditional
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Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen
Traditional Catholic prayer
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- May the Lord bless you and keep you, [Name], and may you rest forever in his light
- May the wind carry you home and the angels meet you there
- May the waters be calm and the welcome warm
- May God’s peace rest on you and on this place
- May the earth hold you gently and heaven hold you forever
- May you find in God’s arms the rest you so deserved
- Go now in peace, held by the One who made the sea and the sky
- May every sunrise here remind us of you and of the hope we have in God
Bible Verses to Read When Scattering Ashes
A single Bible verse can be read on its own or alongside a prayer. These are from the King James Version. Our Bible verses for a funeral have many more.
Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
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Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted.
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Psalm 121:1-2
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
A good one for a mountain or hilltop scattering.
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Isaiah 43:2 (first part)
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.
This suits a sea, lake or river scattering.
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Ecclesiastes 12:7
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
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Revelation 21:4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Prayers for the Family After the Ashes Are Scattered
The minutes right after are often the hardest. The urn is empty and nobody really knows how to walk away. A short prayer for the people still standing there can help.
A Prayer for Those Left Behind
Lord,
We’ve done the last thing we could do for [Name].
Now please look after us.
Comfort every heart here
and help us lean on each other in the days ahead.
Amen
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A Prayer for Walking Away
God,
It feels wrong to turn and leave.
Give us the strength to take the first step
and the faith to know we aren’t leaving them alone.
They are with you, and you are with us.
Amen
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- Lord, hold this family together now that we’ve said goodbye
- God, let our tears today turn into gratitude in time
- Father, be with each of us on the drive home tonight and in the quiet house after
- Lord, thank you for bringing us together here. Help us stay close
- Jesus, carry the ones who are too tired to carry themselves today
- God of hope, remind us that this isn’t the end of the story
- Lord, give us peace when we come back to this place and peace when we can’t
If you’d like more prayers for the days and weeks ahead our funeral prayers include many for grieving families.
A Note for Catholic Families
If your loved one was Catholic it’s worth knowing the Church’s guidance before you plan a scattering. The Vatican’s 2016 instruction on cremation asks that ashes be kept in a sacred place such as a cemetery or church, and says they shouldn’t be scattered in the air, on land or at sea.
In December 2023 the Vatican clarified that a family can ask for a small portion of the ashes to be kept in a place that meant something to the person as long as the rest are kept in a sacred place. You can read a summary from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
If this applies to you talk to your parish priest. Many of the prayers above, along with the Eternal Rest prayer, work just as well at a committal in a cemetery or columbarium.
Tips for Saying a Prayer When Scattering Ashes
- Pick one or two prayers at most. Outdoors people get cold and the wind takes your words away.
- Decide ahead of time who will say the prayer. A pastor or chaplain can lead if you’d prefer.
- Print the prayer in a large font. A phone screen is hard to read in bright sun.
- Pray first, then scatter. It gives everyone a moment to gather themselves before the hardest part.
- Invite everyone to say “Amen” together. It helps people feel part of it.
- Stand with the wind at your back and let the ashes go low and close to the ground or water.
- If someone isn’t religious a blessing or a short verse can feel more inclusive than a long prayer.
- Leave a moment of silence after.
If you’re still planning the day itself our guide on how to plan an ashes scattering ceremony goes through choosing a place, who to invite and what to bring.