A Good Friday Prayer

I had the honour of leading our church community in prayer in our Good Friday service today. As I prepared the prayer, below, I was feeling sad about the passing of a good friend from church. I was comforted and encouraged by truths which God helped me express in this prayer. Several people from church commented on its helpfulness for them too. For that reason, I am copying it here, albeit with a few tweaks here and there. Perhaps you might find it helpful as well, just changing the name of our church friend as appropriate to your situation.

Almighty God, as always, we come to you through Jesus.

As we pray today, we position ourselves, figuratively, at the foot of the cross. 

We look up to you, Lord Jesus. We look to you, the one to whom prophecies pointed, the one who was God incarnate, yet the one who hung helpless, willingly, by choice rather than by the manipulation of your enemies.

We look to you who, in some powerful, spiritual sense, was abandoned by God the Father. In a mystery too deep for us to fathom, in your death on the cross almost 2000 years ago, you took upon yourself the sins of the world. 

You hung there for us, your people. 

In your death, you took upon yourself the punishment that we all deserve because of our sin.

In your death, you took upon yourself the shame that we all carry because of our sin.

In your death, you overcame Satan and the very curse of sin itself. 

We come humbly, knowing that there is nothing we have done or ever can do that will justify such a sacrifice. It is totally because of your love and mercy, Lord Jesus. 

What can we say?  ‘Thank you’ feels inadequate. But all we can offer is our deepest, heartfelt thanks. 

We thank you, too, for the certain hope that we have because of your sacrifice, dear Lord. On Sunday we will celebrate that hope as we remember your resurrection. But today we focus on the tremendous cost you paid so that we could be redeemed and have that hope.

Today we pray for brothers and sisters amongst us who are grieving. We particularly ask for your comfort for the family and friends of our dear sister, Angelia, who passed away yesterday. 

She is ‘‘absent from the body, present with the Lord,” because of the cross. 

We pray for a deep sense of hope for each of us who are suffering in one way or another in this broken world.  As we figuratively kneel at the foot of your cross, we look up and thank you that, ultimately, our spirits are safe in you.  Our eternity is secure in the one who claimed to be the Resurrection and the Life, and yet, for the sake of our salvation, embraced death on that cross. 

We look forward with anticipation to celebrating your resurrection on Sunday and, even more so, to the day when you clothe each of us with immortality.

Again, we say THANK YOU. 

Thank you for the cross.

In the name of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ, we pray. 

Amen.