Opening Prayers/Prayers of Adoration on Easter
Almighty God, who by the death of your Son has destroyed sin and death, and by his resurrection has restored innocence and everlasting life in order that, delivered from the power of sin, we may live in your kingdom: grant that we may believe this with our whole heart, and, steadfast in this faith, may praise and thank you evermore; through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
Martin Luther, 1483-1546; adapted
Jesus – You rose before we did today. You met us at the door to lift burdens, sins and hurts from our shoulders and replace them with Your strength, forgiveness and healing.
The word seems so small compared to what we feel: Thank You.
Thank You for loving us – each of us – enough to suffer the cross and all the humiliation that came with it.
Thank You for seeking us out as The Good Shepherd going after His lost and confused sheep; and for calling us each by name, then taking us home.
Thank you for trading us Your new life for our old one, for making of each of us a new creation, that in You the old is gone and the new is come!
Thank You for caring about all of life – that You rose bodily to demonstrate Your Lordship over our bodies as well as our souls. So, at Your invitation, we can turn to You with all our worries, for all our needs.
Risen Lord – impart comfort and hope to those who feel acutely the separation from a loved one who sat with them in worship last Easter. May the hope in Your resurrection bring them peace and strength.
(Prayer of Adoration)
Thine is the glory – risen conquering Son
Endless is the victory, Thou over death have won.
Jesus – You are amazing! You are wonderful!
What we couldn’t do – You’ve done:
Breaking bonds of fear, sin, guilt and death
which kept us imprisoned for so long.
We’re free – and You’re our Liberator.
We’re beloved – and You’re our Lover.
We’re joyful – and You’re our Laughter and Joy.
That’s why we love You. That’s why we praise You.
That’s why we need You every day. After all …
(Prayer of Confession)
We aren’t very good at living like Your forgiven and free people.
Having received grace –
we’re still reluctant to give grace to others.
Having been forgiven – we still find it hard to forgive.
Having been loved just as we are –
we still struggle to love others as they are,
not as we want them to be.
Forgive us, Lord,
we don’t live much like Your resurrection people.
In small ways and big ways,
we hold onto our old lives and nurse our old ways;
particular ways and personal ways,
like those we now confess to you in the quiet
of Your presence in this place of worship: (Silence)
Christ the Lord is Risen- A Prayer Litany for Easter
This prayer incorporates texts from Christ the Lord is Risen Today by Charles Wesley as a congregational response, a choral response, or a second voice. The responses may be sung or spoken. If sung, consider underscoring the prayer with continued music.
RESPONSE:
Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
ONE:
Holy One, Eternal and Blessed
We lift our hearts to You
Your love overflows, calling the wonder of creation into being
Filling the world with beauty and goodness
Receive our thanks and praise
We join the company of heaven
and Your faithful in every time and place
in celebrating Your victory over sin and shame
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
ONE:
Glory to You, God of grace and majesty
and glory to Your Son, Jesus Christ,
our Savior and Savior of the world
On the third day, You raised Jesus from the dead.
Death could not destroy him!
The grave could not enslave him!
Break the bonds of evil in us and our world
Raise us all to new life, now and forever
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where’s thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
ONE:
Come Lord Jesus
And come Holy Spirit,
Abide with us and in us
So we may live each day as Your Easter people,
Whole, Holy, Alive
One with You and one with each other
Together fulfilling Your saving work
Alleluia!
RESPONSE:
King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is Risen- A Prayer Litany for Easter © 2022 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com