The stone was rolled away. Can you hear the grating rumble? Feel the earth tremble beneath your feet? The stone was rolled away. And inside that dark, dank tomb … can you smell the musty odor? A glorious emptiness swallowed hopelessness, once and for all. May the following Easter Sunday prayers and blessings guide you to that empty tomb and prepare your heart to celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday and every day.
An Easter Sunday Prayer and Blessing for Remembrance
Heavenly Father, as we approach a day set apart to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, please prepare our hearts. We desire to worship You in spirit and in truth. You deserve nothing less than prayers that rise like incense to your throne of grace. You are worthy of all praise. Help us do that, Lord. Prepare our hearts to celebrate You—not focused on our own standards or traditions—but on Your glory alone. Help us to remember all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds. How quickly we forget. Flood our memories with acts of your lovingkindness at work. Let your light shine in the forgetful places of our hearts so that we can once again see Your glory in the face of Jesus. Help us recall the deliverance Your salvation brought to our captive souls. We were once so far away from you, God. Remind our hearts of the adoration we first felt when Christ’s blood brought us near. And through the zeal of our first love enable us to offer You the fruit of our lips—and lives—in true celebration (John 4:24, Psalm 141:2, Psalm 77:12, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Psalm 143:8, Revelation 2:1-7, Hebrews 13:5).
A Prayer of Repentance
Heavenly Father, our hearts are so prone to hardness. Please break up that fallow ground and search us, oh God, show us the hidden places that offend you so that through repentance we can offer you the praise you so richly deserve. Our sacrifices and celebrations are meaningless if they aren’t dedicated to you with a contrite heart. Thank you that Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at Your right hand interceding for us. Thank you that His blood covers our sin and makes a way for us to enjoy the bounty of Your presence. Forgive us, Lord. Turn our hearts back to You. Replace our arrogance, ignorance, and self-sufficiency with a pure, Holy, reverent fear. Enable us once again to tremble with awe at your life-giving Word. Create in us a clean heart, Lord, and restore a right spirit within us—so that with that renewed spirit we can celebrate Your Holiness that has made us whole (Jeremiah 17:9, Hosea 10:12, Psalm 139:23, Psalm 51:18, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 1:9, Acts 3:20, Psalm 51:10, Psalm 51:7, Isaiah 66:2).
A Prayer of Surrender
Heavenly Father, We are not our own. You ransomed our lives from sin and death with the life of Your only Son, Jesus. Who are we, that You should be mindful of us—much less provide such a great sacrifice? Give us the grace to willingly put our lives, every part of it, into Your loving care. You are the Vine, and we are the branches, apart from You we can do nothing. Teach us to remain in You so that we can bear fruit for Your glory. Your Son willingly gave Himself for us, while we were still sinners. But we tend to cling to our identity, rights, and plans as if they were worth something. Open our eyes to see that the only way to find our life is by losing it. Give us the strength and power to lay it down, take up the cross, and follow You. Help us to celebrate You, not through empty words or vain promises, but through the spiritual act of worship You prescribed—the laying down of our lives (1 Corinthians 6:20, 1 Timothy 2:6, Psalm 8:4, Romans 12:1, John 15:5, Luke 9:23, Romans 5:8, Luke 9:24).
An Easter Sunday Prayer and Blessing of Praise and Thanks
Heavenly Father, Maker of Heaven and earth and everything that was ever made. How can we ever fully understand the price You paid for our ransom? We can’t even wrap our brains around why You did it. That kind of love goes beyond our human understanding. We disappointed you in every way, sinned against You, betrayed You. And still, out of love for us, You chose to sacrifice Your son to draw us near, made us new again, redeem us from the curse of the law, grant us eternal life, give us a new mission and purpose, and seal us with Your Holy Spirit. And as if that weren’t enough—You lavished your love upon us by calling us Your own children. What manner of love is this? How can this be? Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are Your judgments? Your paths beyond tracing out! Thank You for this indescribable gift! Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to You, Oh God, forever and ever (Psalm 146:6, Ephesians 3:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:13, Romans 8:2, 1 John 5:12, Ephesians 2:10, Ephesians 1:13, Galatians 3:26-27, Romans 11:33, 2 Corinthians 9:15, Ephesians 1:3, Revelation 7:12).
For more prayers to “take you – and me – through Holy Week,” check out 8 Prayers to Pray Each Day of Holy Week by Maria Miriam. “There’s one for each day, beginning with Palm Sunday, and each of them is based on one of the traditional Scripture readings given to that day in church lectionaries.”
Blessings for Easter
From Genesis to Revelation the Bible reveals God’s heart to bless. The concept of blessing is a theme that weaves seamlessly throughout the scriptural accounts of God’s interaction with His people. But never so more than in the New Testament.
Unlike the Old Testament blessings, which focused mainly on earthly promises, New Testament blessings are eternal—because of the death and resurrection of Christ our Lord. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
“In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, let's take a moment and really reflect on the blessing of His resurrection and what it means for us. We will not be condemned to hell for our sins but taken to live with Him in heaven. We will have no more pain or sorrow, and we will be able to see our beautiful Savior face-to-face as well as be reunited with our loved ones who have gone before us. What a fantastic day that will be.” Says Carrie Lowrance in 25 Easter Blessings and Quotes to Celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus
As we prepare our hearts to celebrate His resurrection, let's rejoice and encourage one another with the blessings His marvelous sacrifice purchased for us.
The Blessing of the Gospel
May “the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:16).
The Blessing of the Holy Spirit
May the “Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (2 Timothy 1:14).
The Blessing of New Hope
May “the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18, 19).
The Blessing of His Unfailing Love
May you “have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”(Ephesians 3:19).
The Blessing of Eternal Peace
May “the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful”(Colossians 3:15).
The Blessing of Knowing Him
May the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17).
The Blessing of Redemption
May you “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:10-14).
Easter is a sacred day set apart to celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you’d like to learn more about the rich heritage, symbolism, and history behind this Holy day check out What Is Easter: Understanding the History and Symbols by Susan E. Richardson.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/thanasus
Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning author and speaker who has managed and directed children’s and youth programs for more than 20 years. Her debut children’s book, What Is A Family? released through Familius Publishing in 2020. Annette has also written curriculum for character growth and development of elementary-age children and has developed parent training seminars to benefit the community. Her passion is to help wanderers find home. She and her husband have five children—three who have already flown the coop and two adopted teens still roosting at home—plus two adorable grands who add immeasurable joy and laughter to the whole flock.
This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ!
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