A Prayer of Praise on Palm Sunday - Your Daily Prayer - April 13
A Prayer of Praise on Palm Sunday
By Keri Eichberger
Bible Reading:
“They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the king of Israel!’” - John 12:13
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May 14, 2005, marks the date of the greatest celebration that encircled my life. It was the day I stood at the altar with the man the good Lord chose specifically to be my forever-on-earth, and united as one, with joy flooding our hearts, we vowed, “til death do us part.” It was my wedding day. The ceremony was followed by what may have been a simple reception to some, but to me, it was the most extraordinary few hours I’d ever known. Our closest friends and family cheered in unison when the DJ announced us as Mr. & Mrs. into the room; my new husband twirled me around the dance floor with a light of love in his eyes I’ll never forget, and we took hundreds of photos and captured mental moments upon moments that will remain in my heart forever. Oh, the joy. It is still my most cherished celebration. And I love to browse back and reflect on the goodness of that day.
How about you? Consider a personal moment, day, or maybe an entire week's festivity set aside or served as an honoring or recognition of something or someone. Joy, excitement, and gratitude were boldly beaming, and praise to God now fills your heart in reflection. Maybe it was your wedding day, too. Or the day a child was born. Perhaps a milestone birthday or anniversary, the completion of a school or career commitment, a final cancer treatment, or the return home of a family member. What would you say has made up your most memorable celebratory moments?
In light of today—the day we call Palm Sunday—what blows my mind is when considering being in the crowd celebrating the welcoming of Jesus the Messiah, our most prized memories pale in comparison. Think about it. The bystanders in Jerusalem on that divine day weren’t just celebrating an exciting new blessing and change in their lives, as we’ve witnessed. But they were celebrating a drastic turn of events that would transform their life from that delightful day forward to and through all of eternity. I can hardly put into words the magnitude of overflowing, overwhelming joy that must have been present in every person waiting to greet their new King.
Imagine it. Picture being in the crowd, after a lifetime of anticipation, believing the long-awaited Messiah had finally come to save your soul and all of those you loved. Finally, they come to fulfill the foretold prophecies. Finally, the light the world had been longing for came. A man, God of the Universe, is not just offering a moment in time to celebrate but also giving you a reason to celebrate every day, forever and ever. I can hardly fathom it. But we should. We may as well have been celebrating with the crowd—rejoicing, singing, and shouting, “Hosanna in the highest”—because the celebration never ended.
The celebration of the coming King continues because he came to stay.
The most praiseworthy consideration of Palm Sunday is that we can still celebrate this joyous occasion today and every day. Jesus didn’t just breeze through and pass by briefly; at the end of the week, after his death and resurrection, he rose to stay right by us forever. I can’t imagine anything more worthy of celebrating!
We praise him today because he unconditionally loves us, and he now lives faithfully in us. We praise him because he came, and because of the cross, we will be with him forever and ever. Praise God! Hosanna, today and every day!
Let’s Pray:
Holy Lord Jesus, We praise you today and every day. All that we celebrate in our life is from you. And we are so thankful for the joy you offer on this earth. But Lord, every blessing and celebration pales in comparison to the joy we have and long to express that you came to the world, lived among us, and died in our place for our sins to give us freedom and eternal life. We are delighted to have the joy of celebrating you and your immeasurable sacrifice for us every day. May we remember your goodness, faithfulness, power, and sacrificial love with every breath we breathe today and every day now and to eternity. Blessed are you, Lord, forever and ever, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Kara Gebhardt
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