Prayer for those in desperate need hope for this Easter Sunday
By Alisha Headley
Bible Reading:
“The cry may remain in the night, but joy will come in the morning.” – Poem sal 30:5
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Before the beautiful revival on Easter Sunday, there was an empty grave. And before the empty grave was there, there was a Savior of Pain, and a loved one with a broken heart. Before the pain of the cross, Jesus was cruelly beaten, and before the beat, Jesus cried out to God in the garden of Gethsemane, taking away his situation as it seemed unbearable. There was a lot of pain before it led to a beautiful Easter Sunday filled with hope and life that we know we are today. For a while, the cross seemed like the end. Pain, loss, and the silence of Saturday after the Savior of the World took his final breath. It was hopeless. Death was spoken, and it sounded like the end of the story, and the story ended in the grave.
I face my grave and the season I have walked feels like the longest Saturday of my life. For the past three years I have faced a grave of loss, a long moment of dreams that have delayed and painful silence. I have experienced losses after loss. I lost my pregnancy, lost hope, lost hope, lost the version of life I thought I was ever living. Still… Easter Sunday whispers over and over again…this is not the end.
Today’s poem reminds us that weeping may stay in the night, but joy is always on the way. Saturday must have felt like life was over for all those weeping on the cross, with the devastating loss of their Savior. Saturday probably felt long and the night was unsettling…but it didn’t last forever. The tomb cannot hold Jesus, and it cannot hold a place in your life that feels lifeless, hopeless, or beyond repair. Some of us now live in the long Saturday season. Maybe you are waiting for healing, saddening the loss, or praying for something that seems unlikely to happen. Perhaps silence makes you feel hopeless and your heart hurts from waiting.
But Easter tells a better story. God awaits his most miraculous work. Easter doesn’t mean that life always looks perfect or that pain suddenly fades away. That simply means that the worst is never the last. The disciples and those who loved Jesus experienced the worst of their lives in Calvary that day and saw their Savior, Jesus, take his final breath. All of them are their Saviors, their comfort, their guide, their safety and safety are gone. But then Easter…
The tomb of Jesus and the tomb of our lives do not get the final words. The situation, seasons, and souls cannot go too far, when Jesus’ power cannot bring life again. God is still in the business of bringing life to the tomb. The same god who rolled the stone is still a stone that is still today. The same God who raised Jesus from death brings life to the heart, dreams and circumstances that he feels buried. He still turns mourning into dance. He still transforms beauty from ashes and despair to joy. Again, that doesn’t mean that pain is not real. That means it is not permanent and has no final say. I know how a dark Saturday feels. Because I feel that it was the Saturday of my life, a very long season. But remember, don’t forget that Sunday is coming. The eye catching may last overnight, but joy comes in the morning.
Let’s pray:
Dear Father, thank you for the cross. Thank you for loving us, you sent your only son to die for us so that we can have eternal life. Thank you for the Bible, like today’s poem. Lord, it’s the season that feels like Saturday. We are hurt, and we feel hopeless. You know all the losses and disappointments we carried, all the questions we whispered, and all the tears we wept. During this season, when nights feel long and painful, it reminds you that you have conquered the tomb. Remember, as joy is coming, our crying will not be in vain and will not last forever. You are faithful and never break your promise, so it’s not a matter of whether joy will come. That’s when’s the question? thank you. You are a loving God who brings beauty from ashes, speaks of life to dry bones, and rolls all the stones.
Please forgive us for our mistrust and for our despair in this long, patient season. Trust us that we are waiting for you, cling to you, and help you trust you even when you don’t know what you are doing. We ask that you breathe new life into those places in our hearts and places where you have died or buried. It will revive our hopes. Update our strength. And restore our joy. thank you. You have moved the tomb and brought Jesus back to life, so we know that resurrection is possible in our lives. Help us live like those who know that the morning comes and joy is coming. Let the Easter promises ignite hope for us today. With your mighty name, we pray for Jesus. Amen
Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Bruno van der Kraan
Alisha Headley is a writer + speaker who has the desire to meet everyday women in their daily lives with biblical truths. Stepping into her true calling, she was able to leave the corporate world as a former treasurer VP, loving her family as a home wife + dog mom, while also pursuing her passion as a writer. The healing from the chapters of life consumed with lies she once believed about herself is inspired by directing women to Christ to experience freedom + power to overcome those lies with truths written in the Word of God. In her free time, Alisha enjoys road trips all over the country. Alisha is a proud wife and dog mom living in Scottsdale, Arizona.
You can follow her blog to visit her website Alishaheadley.com and connect with her on Facebook + Instagram.
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