Prayers not to emphasize in Easter
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations he had to make. She came to him and said, “Lord, don’t worry about my sister doing the work for me. ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord replied. – Luke 10:40-42
Read or listen to the following:
It’s hard to get caught up in everything you want to achieve during Easter season. Depending on whether you’re hosting or not, all the preparations you need to do can be easily overwhelmed. Maybe you’re cooking Easter dinner and you need to arrange seating and organising for the kids to play. These things can make you feel withered and unhappy. Preparation may seem very important right now. However, if you get too caught up in your task list, you can focus on your celebration purpose. Easter is to celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord. His death and resurrection gave us the redemption, salvation, and forgiveness of sin (Ephesians 1:7).
I’m often caught up in everything I have to do…and this is beyond Easter. When I start worrying about all of these things, I tend to be spiral and I’m not a very good person. I get easily angry. Honestly, I’m pretty annoyed when no one helps me. That’s because I want people to understand the energy and effort I put in all the time. But it is for the Lord that we do good work. The Lord always sees these things.
The person we may be involved in these times is Martha of the Bible. Martha was sisters of Mary and Lazarus. The Lord Jesus loved each of these brothers and visited them frequently during his ministry. The Bible says in Luke 10:40-42: “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations he had to make. She came to him and said, “Lord, don’t worry about my sister doing the work for me. “Martha, Martha,” replied, “You’re worried and angry about a lot, but there’s very little you need.”
Martha was embarrassed that her sister wasn’t helping her when she was stressed about the preparations she needed to do. But Jesus said at that moment that Mary’s choice was better. Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet…and listened to him. Martha was doing everything “right” as a kind host, but she missed Jesus before her. We too are called to follow Mary’s example and sit at the feet of the Lord.
You don’t need to be upset, stressed or overwhelmed by preparing for your holiday to accomplish something in Easter. All we need is to sit at Jesus’ feet and worship him. If you’re feeling stressed about preparing for this Easter, try to be free from your busy list. Take a step back and pause…and sit before the Lord. Worship him…and follow his instructions. Instead of draining you on your holidays… the Lord fills your cup with His eternal goodness.
Let’s pray:
Dear Lord, I have often found myself stressed like Martha. I’m too interested in all preparations, not sitting at your feet. I don’t want to be too caught up in all the preparations for Easter… because they can deflect me from you. Help me become like Mary…sitting at your feet…and not taking your presence and proximity for granted. Please rest my uneasy Martha’s mind. I know you can do everything…and give me the rest you need. Lord, thank you for blessing me and allowing me to rest at your feet. In your name, yes, amen.
Photo Credit: ©GetTyimages/Deagreez
Vivian Bricker received his Bachelor of Mission and a Master of Arts with a focus on theology. She loves theology, mission work, and everything that helps others learn about Jesus. Find out more about her content on Cultivate: https://cultivatechristianity.wordpress.com/.
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