Remember me: A universal cry
“Remember me.” Those two words carry a weight we all recognize.
At a funeral, we hope our lives mattered. In a broken relationship, we long not to be forgotten. In prayer, we whisper, “Lord, don’t pass me by.”
The longing to be remembered is deeply human. To be overlooked, ignored, or discarded cuts to the soul. And when we feel forgotten by God, the ache is even deeper. Yet sometimes our sense of being forgotten comes from the hard truth that we have forgotten Him first.
We forget God in hurried prayers.
We forget Him in distracted worship.
We forget Him in daily choices, as if strength and success are ours alone.
The recent tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where children were killed and wounded, painfully reminds us how easily an entire culture forgets God—His compassion, His peace, His reverence for life made in His image.
The Bible shows us two people who prayed the same words: “Remember me.” Their stories show two radically different ways of approaching God.
Samson’s Cry
Samson was called by God, gifted with great strength, and set apart for God’s purposes. Yet he forgot who the true source of his strength was. He treated his gifts as his own possession and lived for himself.
Blinded, mocked, and imprisoned, he finally prayed, “Sovereign Lord, remember me. Strengthen me one more time that I may take revenge.” Even at his lowest, Samson’s prayer was driven by revenge rather than surrender. God answered, using Samson to deliver Israel—but Samson’s heart never truly returned to God’s glory.
Samson’s prayer asks us to pause:
Where have I been living as if I’ve forgotten God?
Are my prayers more about vindication and proving myself, or about trusting God’s mercy?
The Thief’s Cry
Centuries later, another man whispered the same words. A thief hung beside Jesus on a cross. With nothing left to offer—no good record, no strength—he turned and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Unlike Samson, this prayer was not about revenge. It was surrender. He remembered who Jesus was, even when others mocked Him. And because he remembered Jesus, he could ask to be remembered in return.
Jesus’ answer was immediate and tender: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Where Samson’s cry led to destruction, the thief’s cry led to life.
This story asks us to reflect:
When I pray, am I clinging to my rights and grievances, or am I opening my hands in trust, like the thief?
Do I remember Jesus first?
God Always Remembers Us
The good news is that even when we forget Him, God never forgets us.
Isaiah 49 says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast? … Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
Peter denied Jesus three times, but Jesus restored him: “Feed my sheep.”
God’s mercies are new every morning. His gifts and calling are irrevocable.
When we cry, “Remember me,” it isn’t because God is absent-minded. It’s because we know we’ve wandered. And God’s remembering is always stronger than our forgetting.
Questions for Reflection and Action
Where in your life do you feel overlooked, discarded, or beyond hope? Hear this: God remembers you.
In your prayers this week, notice: are you asking like Samson (“vindicate me”) or like the thief (“have mercy on me”)?
How can you “remember Jesus first” today—in prayer, in worship, in your daily choices?
A Word of Hope
To be remembered is to be restored. The thief shows us how: by remembering Jesus first. And the promise we can rest on is this—God never forgets His children.
This week, take time to remember Him first. And as you do, you’ll discover the joy of a God whose mercy is new every morning, and who never forgets you.
Thank You
Thank you for taking the time to consider this post. We would love to see your comments or engage with you if you need Pastoral assistance.