Easter Sunday is fast approaching and with it an excitement that grows by the day. I don’t know about you, but Easter Sunday is my favorite day to be in church. We celebrate in a big way and my heart is overwhelmed with joy. We can prepare our hearts for this special day with Easter Sunday prayers and blessings.
Why Do We Celebrate Easter Sunday?
Easter Sunday is all about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On Good Friday we spend time remembering the death of Jesus on a cross. Even though He was the only human to ever live a sinless life, He took the sins of the world upon Himself and died in our place. But Jesus didn’t stay dead. Oh no! Three days later He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death once and for all.
We can live in spiritual freedom because Jesus lives. We can live in a relationship with God because Jesus lives. We can live an abundant life in the midst of trials because Jesus overcame the world. We can experience peace in the midst of the storms of life because Jesus lives and intercedes on our behalf. We can experience victory in this life because Jesus was victorious over sin and death. When our time here on earth comes to an end, it’s just the beginning because Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us. Eternity with Him begins the moment we accept the gift of His life in exchange for ours. Now that’s something worth celebrating!
13 Beautiful Easter Sunday Blessing and Prayers
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace” Numbers 6:24-25.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” Galatians 1:3-5.
“Dear God, we praise you for your great strength, we praise you for your lavish love. We praise you that you are Conqueror, Victor, Redeemer, and Friend. We praise you that you are Deliverer, Worthy One, Everlasting Father, Great and Awesome God. To you be glory and honor, on this Resurrection Day, and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” —Debbie McDaniel
“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come” Ephesians 1:16-21.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” Ephesians 3:14-19.
“Lord, You are so amazing! How can I ever thank You enough for coming into this world to give Your life for me? I'm sorry for the times I get so busy that I fail to remember the incredible love You willfully demonstrated to me by going to the Cross. You didn't have to do it, but You did it for me. I thank You from the depths of my heart for loving me so completely! I pray this in Jesus' name! —Rick Renner
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” Ephesians 3:20-21.
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” Philippians 1:9-11.
“The Light of God Surrounds me.
The Love of God Enfolds me.
The Power of God Protects me.
The Presence of God Watches over me.
Where I am, God is and All is Well.”
—Clare Campbell (adaption of a prayer by Catherine Ponder)
"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” Colossians 1:11-14.
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in Heaven one day. I confess my sin, and I believe that you are God, my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. You have the right to call the shots in my life. Jesus, I want to relax in your love. Thank you that I don’t have to earn it or deserve it or work for it. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I humbly commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.” —Rick Warren
Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” If you did that for the first time today, welcome to the family of God! I leave you with my own prayer of gratitude for everything we celebrate on Easter Sunday and every other day.
"Thank You, Jesus. A simple thank You doesn’t seem sufficient when we consider all that You have done for us, but it’s all we have to give. We know that there is nothing we can do to earn Your love or deserve the sacrifice You made for us. We could never work hard enough or do enough good deeds to earn a place in Heaven with You. Thank You for having a better plan, Lord. Thank You for sending Jesus to do what we could not, so that we can have what we don’t deserve. It’s the best gift we could ever imagine. We receive this gift and we choose to believe in Your name, Everlasting Father. Amen."
BONUS! Hear This Guided Easter Prayer, Written & Read by Meg Bucher:
Great Bible Verses for Easter Sunday
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” John 3:16-17, ESV.
“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.’ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him” Matthew 28:1-9.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:10-11.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” Philippians 2:5-11.
“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself” Hebrews 7:25-27.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” Romans 8:1-4.
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Passionate about helping people find joy for their journey, Josie Siler, a small-town Wisconsin girl, has big dreams. As an author and photographer, Josie shares God’s gifts of beauty, hope, and adventure with people who are overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, encouraging them to walk in the freedom and joy found in Jesus. Josie is the author of the award-winning picture book, Howie’s Broken Hee-Haw, published by End Game Press. She's also a chronic illness warrior who believes every day is a gift that should be celebrated. When she’s not writing or taking pictures, you’ll find Josie looking for adventure, curled up with a good book, or cuddling her teddy bear dog Ruby Mae (a.k.a. The Scruffy Princess). Connect with Josie at JosieSiler.com.