As you celebrate Easter this year, may this prayer be encouraging in shaping your personal prayers of praise and in serving you in opportunities you might have to pray with your family and others.
Almighty God and Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
We come before You with hearts that are heavy from pondering Your suffering and death—yet overflowing with Easter joy in the victory won through Your resurrection.
You groaned with loud cries and tears so that we can sing a song of celebration.
You endured ridicule and insults so that we can shout with praise.
You took a thorny crown to Your blood-stained brow so that we can wear a golden crown of life.
You bore the crossbeam on Your shredded back so that You could bear our iniquities and remember our sins no more.
You walked in agony the road to Golgotha so that we can run with endurance the race that is set before us.
You were stripped of Your garments so that we can be clothed with the garments of salvation.
You stretched out Your hands so that ours can be lifted up and clap for joy.
You were led like a lamb to the slaughter so that we can come to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
O Lord Jesus, may our Easter songs of celebration never end.
May ceaseless praise rise from our hearts to exalt You as:
risen to display glory and infinite greatness
risen to conquer sin and death forever
risen to liberate the world and set this groaning creation free
risen to reign without end at the right hand of the Father
risen to heal
risen to forgive
risen to give life beyond the door of death
risen to wipe every tear away
risen to end sickness and pain forever
risen to turn our night into day
risen to give us and our children an eternal hope
No Easter song can sufficiently express our joy.
Eternal hallelujahs are not enough to complete Your praise.
No offering we could make compares to Your worth.
Yet, with all our heart and all our soul we say:
Be exalted O God above the heavens!
Be exalted Lord Jesus above all worldly desires!
Be exalted above all earthly treasures!
Let Your glory be over all the earth!
And let Your people cast their crowns before You, our risen Lamb,
in whose name we pray.
Amen.
