Caring and compassionate God,
On this Easter Sunday, we gather as a community of faith, grateful for the promise of new life and for hope that springs eternal. We come before you with hearts open to receive your grace and love, knowing that you are present with us in every season of our lives. As we offer our prayers, we hold in our hearts those among us who are in need of healing and comfort in these days.
God of mercy and justice, we pray for the world that you so love. In a time of uncertainty and division, we ask for your guidance and wisdom. Heal the wounds of injustice, violence, and oppression that afflict our communities. Inspire our leaders to work for the common good and empower us all to be agents of reconciliation and peace. Guide us in the work of building a world where all are treated with dignity and respect. We pray that the light of Easter may shine brightly in every corner of creation, bringing hope and transformation.
We lift up to you, God of the outcast and marginalized, those who are often overlooked and forgotten. We pray for refugees fleeing violence, for our unhoused neighbors, for our queer and transgender siblings, and for all who find themselves on the periphery of society. Help us to create a world where all are valued and welcomed, just as you welcome each one of us with open arms.
God, we pray also for those among us who are sick or suffering, and for those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Comfort them in their time of need and surround them with your abiding love and presence. Grant them strength and courage to face the days ahead. May they find solace in the knowledge that you are with them, holding them close in your embrace.
Sustainer, we pray for your Church and for our own community of faith. Strengthen us in our commitment to embody the Way of Jesus. Stir in us a desire to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you, God. Help us to remember that the church represents an outpost of an alternative kingdom. Let us not replicate the world’s mechanisms of power and greed. Instead, God, aid us in embodying a better vision for a world made right, one where difference is celebrated, and diversity is a beloved fact of life.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life into our hearts and minds on this Easter Sunday. Renew our faith, deepen our commitment to discipleship and to one another, and empower us to live as resurrection people. Help us to let go of fear and embrace the possibilities of new beginnings. May we be transformed again and again by the power of your love, becoming purveyors of shalom in your world.
Gracious God, as we offer these prayers, we trust you to meet our needs. Friends, may the joy we know today on Easter fill our hearts and sustain us as we journey together in faith.
We pray these things in the name of Jesus who taught us to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.