Easter 2020

Father God,

On this so, so very special and wonderful day, we humbly come before you and somehow it is a little different this year.  While so much is going on with nothing going on, this Easter seems a little more personal, a little more contemplative to me.  Maybe it is fewer distractions.  Father in John 19 we read:

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Almighty God, how emotional, how unsettling, yet also one of the most impactful, powerful, meaningful and amazing statements for us as children of God.  It means everything, it means as many theologians have said that there is nothing we can do to make you love us anymore than you do right now and that there is nothing we can do to make you love us any less. It means that because Jesus paid it all, our debt is paid forever and ever, it means our relationship with you as our Abba Father is eternally sealed. It means that despite the circumstances of this broken world we have the only living and eternal hope, the confidence that it will be so much better farther on!

So Father, it is with thankful hearts we come before you this Easter morning. It is with thanksgiving that we will worship this morning.  It is with hearts overflowing with love for you, who first loved us.

Oh Father, these are trying times, uncertain and never been through anything like this times, so Father, we do ask for you to help us press on because we know that Christ pressed on for us all the way to Mount Calvary.  As we are told in Philippians:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  

Father God, help us press on toward your upward call in Christ, help us trust you in the circumstances of this world as we press on.  We pray this morning that we might press on to better know you, that we might press on helping others, that we might press on even if pressing on means staying away for a time, that we might press on because Christ Jesus has made us his own.  Halleluiah many times over and thank you Lord Jesus.  

Father we do continue to pray for an end to this pandemic, we continue to lift up those on the front lines of this fight, for those serving by working, for those serving by distancing.  We pray for your strength, wisdom, and encouragement.

Father, we also continue to pray for all those impacted by these crazy days, praying for your provision, healing, comfort and hope!  Finally Father, we pray for your people everywhere this morning, praying for joyful, thankful and spirit-filled worship.  We pray for pastors everywhere, praying for the good news to be proclaimed and praying for your Spirit to be with them.

Father, we pray using Peter’s words saying blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for each of us.

Abba Father, we love you and pray these many things in the most loving and heroic and amazing, and beautiful name of our living Savior; Jesus Christ! Amen and Amen! He is risen indeed!