Risen Lord Jesus,
You burst forth from the tomb
not quietly, not timidly,
but with power that shook the earth and silenced hell.
The stone rolled away not so You could escape,
but so we could see You are alive.
Death is defeated.
Darkness has been shattered.
Despair has lost its grip.
And because You rose, I rise too
with hope that cannot be buried,
with joy that cannot be stolen.
You stepped out of the grave,
and with that step, You crushed every fear,
every lie, every chain that held me.
The silence of Saturday gave way to the song of Sunday
a melody of mercy, echoing through time and eternity.
But still, I confess
there are days I live as if You’re still in the tomb.
Forgive me, Lord,
for the times I have doubted Your power,
when I let grief speak louder than grace,
when I let anxiety drown out Your voice.
Forgive me when I walk with slumped shoulders,
forgetting the empty grave behind me and the Spirit within me.
You call me to go
to carry this resurrection life into every dark place,
to proclaim that death doesn’t get the final word.
But some days, I hesitate.
I feel unworthy, unsure, unprepared.
Still, You send me
not because I am enough,
but because You are with me.
So breathe Your boldness into my lungs,
Your compassion into my heart,
Your truth into my lips.
Let me speak as one who has seen the risen Lord.
Let me serve as one who has walked out of a grave.
Let me love as one who knows the weight of grace.
You are not far off
You are with me, always, even to the end of the age.
When I feel forgotten, remind me of the women at the tomb
how You met them in their weeping,
turned mourning into mission.
Do the same in me.
When the path feels uncertain,
steady my feet with Your Word.
When I grow weary,
let the warmth of Your presence carry me.
When I fall, lift me with resurrection hands
nail-scarred, but never failing.
Let my life be a living testimony,
not just of what You’ve done,
but of who You are
the Risen One, the Faithful One, the Forever King.
Break open every tomb in me still filled with fear,
every sealed place where hope has died,
and raise me again.
Let the power of Your resurrection not just be remembered
but lived, breathed, embodied in every word I say,
every step I take, every person I love.
Jesus, risen King,
You are my hope, my strength, my Savior.
I lay down my plans, my pride, my past
and I rise with You.
Wherever You lead, I will follow.
Whatever You ask, I will trust.
And with every breath,
I will proclaim
He is not here He is risen, just as He said. (Matt. 28:6)
In Your glorious, victorious, ever present name Jesus,
Amen.