A Prayer of Gratitude for Jesus' Sacrifice This Holy Friday
By Christine Perry
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV
Friday was a dark and dismal day. The disciples had abandoned Jesus as He was arrested in the garden. Yet, before that, he was in the garden pleading with the Father for a different way. Jesus was so distraught that he sweated drops of blood while He prayed, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done." Luke 22:42.
I think we have all experienced physical reactions to stressful situations, but typically, these situations only affect us. On the Friday of his crucifixion, Jesus faced the wrath of God not for himself but for us. He took on our sin, our shame, and our humiliation. When I think about Jesus' sacrifice, which I would do better to meditate on frequently, I am, more often than not, left speechless.
- Because of His sacrifice, I will never be alone or forsaken (Hebrew 13:5). I may feel alone, but I will never be out of God's sight (Jeremiah 12:3a).
- Because of Jesus' sacrifice, no matter who rejects me, I will always be accepted by Him through His shed blood (Romans 15:7).
- Because of Jesus' sacrifice, I have someone advocating on my behalf (1 John 2:1).
- Because of Jesus' sacrifice, I am now a child of God, and because of that legal and relational standing, I am an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17).
- Because of Jesus' sacrifice, I can be reconciled to the Father (Colossians 1:21-22), and I am an ambassador of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:20).
J.I. Packer said in his book, Knowing God, "The Christian's secret of a God-honoring life is that we take the following truths and say it over and over to yourself first thing in the morning, last thing at night, as you wait for the bus, and any time your mind is free. Ask that you may be enabled to live as one who knows it is as utterly and completely true.
- I am a child of God.
- God is my Father.
- Heaven is my home.
- Every day is one day nearer.
- My Savior is my brother.
- Every Christian is my brother, too."
Let's pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for sending Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice. Thank You for providing a way for me to be able to communicate with You but also to live with You. Father, I'm sorry for my selfishness when I've gotten so caught up in myself and my situation that I forget about what it cost You to save me. Please forgive me. Lord, without You, I am helpless. You give me the air in my lungs, the beat in my heart, and the ability to speak. Your love is what drew me first, and You loved me even when I was dead in sin. God, that kind of love is hard for me to understand. Apart from You, there is nothing lovable in me. You're worthy of everything I am and everything I ever hope to be. Help me to live each moment for you. Help each task that I do today bring You honor. And let what the hymn writer wrote be true of my life, when he said:
Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You.
Even though we fail so often, and it may not seem like we do, we love You.
In Jesus' name, Amen!
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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