An Easter Prayer

from Chris Foster

I’ve woken this morning with such an urge to pray fervently on this oh-so-different Easter Day. We would normally be greeting each other with joy and smiles but with nearly a thousand dead every day it can only be tears and sadness. And yet I am full of joy on waking because of all that you did for us Lord Jesus that first Good Friday.

Loving Father, we praise and bless you on this glorious Easter morn and thank you for all that Jesus did for us on the cross and by rising to new life. We thank you Lord that you love each one of us totally and unconditionally and know us better than we know ourselves – but we have marred that love by spoiling so much. Lord Jesus, please forgive us for getting it so wrong, for spoiling your beautiful creation to the point of near extinction and for spoiling the way we behave towards each other, not loving and caring sufficiently, close to home and in the wider world. Please help us as our nation and our world to learn from this and do things differently in future.

Lord Jesus, we thank you that you paid the price that first Good Friday by taking all our sins onto the cross that we might be forgiven – and rising to new life on Easter morn so that we too might have new and eternal life in you. Lord, we thank you that you had the victory over death that first Easter, you have the victory now and we pray for your victory to overcome all that is happening to our world with this terrible virus pandemic. Lord, we pray for your healing hand upon this virus, that you will quench its power, lessen the death rate quickly and bring healing.

Dear Lord, we pray for all those who are suffering such agonies of pain through losing loved ones so tragically. Please let them know your presence through this awful time. We pray for our loved ones Lord, our families and friends, that you will please keep us all safe and well at this time – and we give thanks and pray for all who are caring in such amazing ways especially frontline NHS workers and others who may not be feeling safe as they go about their work. We pray a special prayer for all who are ill in different ways and anxious at this time. Please be with them and those who care for them.

Lord Jesus, we give it all to you, all our confusion and feelings of helplessness. We believe and trust in you Lord and we thank you.

In your precious name we pray.
Amen