4 Easter Dinner Prayers and Blessings to Celebrate as a Family
- Lori Freeland Crosswalk.com Contributor
- 2022 18 Mar
Easter means different things to different people, even with Christians. Some use the day to be solitary and reflective, others make church service and Easter dinner into a huge production, while many get caught up in the bunny, the baskets, and the colored eggs. I’ve definitely been guilty of the latter. Especially when my kids were little. But I want this year to be different, for myself and for my family. Maybe you do too.
Prayer is a wonderful way to focus your Easter celebrations on Jesus. Saying an Easter dinner prayer is the perfect way to reflect on the meaning of the holiday with your family and friends.
This year, I want to be grateful—truly grateful—beyond a mumbled prayer or a meditative moment. I want to kneel in God’s presence, open my heart to what He wants to show me, and pour out my appreciation and gratitude. I want that for my family too. One way we can do that is with prayer and with scripture. There’s something so powerful about praying God’s Word out loud. I invite you to join me in making what Jesus did thousands of years ago matter today in a brand-new way. Here are some of my favorite Easter dinner prayers that you can use around your own Sunday meal table.
A Prayer to Celebrate Easter Dinner with Family
Lord, there are no words to fully show our gratitude for what You did on the cross and in the tomb by dying in our place, taking on our sin, and conquering death to rise again. You did what we could not. In John 1:29, You’re called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The world. That’s me. That’s us. You are the sacrifice we could never be. Because of You, we have hope both now and for eternity. We may never understand the kind of love You have for us or fully grasp that it can’t be taken away. But we stand on the promises in Romans 8. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ...For I am convinced that neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What an awesome God You are. Thank you for everything You’ve done and everything You’re still going to do. This Easter, search our hearts and minds and accept our thankfulness for who You are. Amen.
A Prayer of Praise at Easter
Lord, You are perfect and holy and pure. You keep your promises just like Your Word says in Matthew 28:6. “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” You always do what You say. You never change. We don’t have to worry that You’ll be one way today and another tomorrow. You are the constant in our lives. The only One we can count on with no reservations. When we come to You, You never disappoint or let us down. In 1 John 4:18, You are “The One who takes away fear in perfect love.” You alone have the power to change hearts and minds, to comfort, to walk beside us when we feel alone. Like David in Psalm 150, we praise You, Lord. We praise You in Your sanctuary, in the mighty heavens. We praise You for Your acts of power and Your surpassing greatness. This Easter, let those words be forever written on our hearts. Amen.
A Prayer of Gratitude at Easter
Lord, sometimes we forget that the reason for Your death is our sins. You didn’t need to be punished or redeemed. That was all of us. But because You took on what we couldn’t through Your death and resurrection, we have life, and we have You. We believe what You said in 1 Corinthians 15:2. “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.” Thank You for being our hope and our help. We’re so grateful for the verse in Matthew 28 that tells the women at the tomb “Do not be afraid.” We can hold onto that instead of living in fear. In Proverbs 18 and Psalm 61, we claim the promise that you are our strong tower. That we can run to You and be safe. We don’t deserve Your love, but we want to tell You this Easter that we’re oh-so-grateful You’ve given it. Like David expresses in Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” Amen.
A Prayer to Draw Close to God at Easter
Lord, please don’t let us forget how much You’ve done Who You’ve been in our lives. You’ve stayed beside us in our worst moments and rejoiced with us in our best. Don’t let that ever change. We’re human. We make mistakes. So please keep us close to You. In James 4:8, You say, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” Help us to cling to that with our whole hearts. When I’m tempted to go my own way, help me not to stray. Lord, like David in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Don’t let us miss the ways You’re working in our lives. Show us what we can’t see on our own. Amen.
When I think about what the holiday means to me, Good Friday and Easter walk hand in hand. Through both death and resurrection, Jesus took His past and tied it to my present. Without what He did on the cross and in the tomb so long ago:
I Wouldn’t Have a Personal Relationship with God
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him’” (John 14:6,7).
It’s through Jesus that we gain access to the Father. He’s paved the way and become the bridge that connects us. Our mediator. Our champion. I can’t imagine not being able to run to the feet of the Father when I need Him the most.
I Wouldn’t Have Salvation
“The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:23-25).
Salvation isn’t earned, it’s offered. And even if there were a way to somehow buy our own pardons, we’d never be able to afford the price. God knew that, and that’s why Jesus took on our debt instead. Out of all the Christian holidays we celebrate, Easter is what brings us true freedom in Christ.
I Wouldn’t Have Victory Over Death
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)
Because Jesus defeated death, we have the promise of eternity and of seeing people we’ve lost once again. There’s a certain peace about realizing that our future still lies ahead, and that life is more than just our current struggles. God has a big-picture plan. That gives me hope not only in heaven but also on earth as He walks beside me even now.
How Can We Still Make Easter Meaningful If We’re Staying Home?
Our lives and routines may look different this year, but the meaning of Easter is still the same. If you’re used to celebrating in church and with family or friends, this year might be an unwelcome change. But where we observe this day and who we’re with isn’t as important as how we approach it. Instead of grieving for traditions we may have to temporarily set aside, what if we used this time to explore something different? We might discover new traditions that we absolutely love. Here are some ideas to try.
-Stream an Easter sermon on TV.
-Put together your own church service.
-Let your kids put on an Easter play.
-Take turns reading the Easter story out loud.
-Have an Easter-movie marathon.
-Gather with your family and friends online.
-Ask each person to share what Easter means to them.
-Encourage everyone to help put together an Easter dinner.
-Make a meal to drop off for someone else.
No matter how you celebrate, I pray this Easter will be a blessing to your heart. Jesus’ gift of life is the original gift that keeps on giving—all the way into eternity. Take some time this season to deepen your relationship with the One who gave His life for you. I know He wants to draw you close.
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