6 Prayer Requests for Easter

Easter is a special time of year for Christians. I know many who look at this week and call it “Holy Week,” and even some who wish everyone a “Happy Resurrection Weekend.”  Regardless of the term, I look forward to the many events, church gatherings, and special emphasis that many put on this week to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Even at Lighthouse, some traditions have grown since I became their pastor.

I also find that Easter provides us with an excellent time to pray. However, I am becoming increasingly aware that many may not know what to pray for in anticipation of the upcoming Easter weekend. This is why I would like to share six requests to include in your prayers leading up to this wonderful season. 

Please understand that these are in no particular order.   Also, Easter is when the church is more intentional about the services and the outreach to the lost community.  

Pray for Christians who have been absent from church  

Yes, I can admit, as others have stated, that the culture of the church and church attendance is changing. However, the reality is that being absent from church is a continuing growing issue among Christians. 

For some, they got out of the habit of attending. Others may say it is because of their schedule, and something occurs at the same time as church. For others, it could be a disagreement or a bad experience. Or that they no longer attend because a loved one passed away…and attending church hasn’t been the same.

Regardless of why they stopped attending church, we should pray they reconnect and join (or rejoin) the local church family. Easter is a great time for Christians to return to church and connect. Additionally, I encourage you to pray that they will see the importance of doing Christian life in a community.

Pray for the Lost who have been invited 

Please note that I use the qualifier for this item of those “who have been invited.”  My definition of what this means is that a Christian has taken the time to intentionally invite a person who does not know Jesus to their church. (And no, a social media blast does not count!)  

Let us pray for the person who did the inviting that they will stay bold and invite others. Let us also pray for the person who was invited that they would consider the state of their soul and attend a church service or ask questions from the person who invited them. While it may be assumed, I would especially encourage you to pray that God would open the hearts of the Lost and that their spirits would be awakened to their sins and need for Jesus Christ as Savior. 

Easter is the time to pray for the opening of church plants

When a new church plant opens, for many, Easter Sunday is the date for which they aim. This particular time of celebration (a church opening) is often paired with the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, which makes a lot of sense to people. I would encourage you to look around the area or on social media and see if a church will launch or open this special Sunday.  

Pray for church leaders

Easter is a time when many church leaders are extra stressed. For some, it is the addition of extra events or outreaches that become weary. For others, it is self-inflected anxiety because of the importance of this specific Sunday. And while many of us are very excited, please keep them in your prayers.

I would ask you to pray that each church leader would remember that Easter Sunday Morning, the celebration of the resurrection, is the reason. May it be recalled to their mind often during this season.

Also, pray that their communication will be clear and precise. Finally (and I stole this saying from another pastor), they would make much of Jesus Christ.

Use Easter to pray for yourself 

I understand that the Easter weekend can sometimes bring more stress into an already busy calendar. As mentioned, the church will have more events or special services. Adding these church events in addition to figuring out work schedules, the kids’ different school schedules due to having Good Friday or Spring Break, and your family (or extended family) may feel compelled to get together during this time.  

With all this going on, may I encourage you to pray for yourself in three areas:

• Your health (mental, physical, and spiritual)
• Your influence on people around you. Specifically your discipleship (those you are helping grow) and evangelism (those with whom you share the gospel).
• Take a moment and reflect on what Jesus did for you on the cross and the victory that was obtained on resurrection morning.

Pray for other church members  

For everything you just prayed for yourself, please know that someone in your church family probably needs the same prayer. So, pray for them.

You may or may not know what is occurring in their life. If you do, please make your prayers very specific. Also, you may want to look at a prayer list (if your church has one) and use this time to work through that list. Another suggestion would be to pray specifically for each person in your small group, Sunday school class, or the people who sit in your general area of the church.

Pastor Mark’s Take Away

I hope you will use this Easter time of celebration as an opportunity to pray. It is an exciting time for the church and Christians around the globe.

I also want to include that this list could be used in preparation for each coming Sunday or worship service for the church family.  

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Below is a downloadable infographic to download and help you remember these prayer requests.