As Easter approaches, we often take time to pause and reflect on the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. There are many passages in the Bible that we read each Easter Sunday and many Easter prayers that we say at our Easter Sunday Dinner.
Because of the risen Christ, we have eternal and everlasting life with Him. The Gospels tell accounts of the journey that Jesus was on during the Holy Week leading up to his resurrection. The Easter season is more than eggs or bunnies, but a time to thank God for sacrificing his son for us.
We’ve gathered bible verses to reflect on for your Easter prayer, as well as prayers that can be said at a church service or even gathering amongst friends.
Estimated reading time: 12 minutes
Table of contents
Easter Bible Verses for Prayer
Easter Sunday is a very popular day for church attendance, with many churches reporting it as their highest, second-highest, or third-highest attendance day of the year. More than half of Protestant pastors say Easter is their best-attended service of the year, and that figure grows to 90% if you include the pastors who say it’s their second- or third-best attended service, according to Lifeway Research.
Old Testament Prophecies
Job 19:25-27:
“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”
Isaiah 26:19
“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.”
Isaiah 53:4-6
“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
New Testament Verses
Luke 24:6-7
“He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”
Romans 5:8
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Mark 16:6
“And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.”
Romans 10:9
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Matthew 28:5-8
“The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.”
1 Peter 1:3
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
1 Thessalonians 4:14
“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
Romans 8:11
“If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
John 11:25-26
“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 6:40
“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
1 Corinthians 6:14
“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”
Romans 6:4
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
Philippians 3:10
“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”
1 Corinthians 15:20-21
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.”
John 12:23-25
“Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”
John 19:29-30
“A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
Mark 16:5-7
“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ”
Luke 23:44-47
“It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.”
Matthew 27:65-66
“Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.”
John 20:16-18
“Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.”
Matthew 28: 18-20
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Acts 3:15
“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”
Acts 4:33
“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all.”
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
1 Corinthians 6:14
“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.”
Romans 8:34
“Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Romans 6:8-11
“The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
Luke 24:6-7
“Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'”
Revelation 1:17b-18a
“Don’t be afraid! I am the First and Last. I am the living one. I died, but look–I am alive forever and ever!”
Luke 9:23
“Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Prayers for Easter
“O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.”
—Pope Francis, 2021 Easter Mass
Easter Morning Prayer
‘Dear Lord, on this glorious Easter morning, we rejoice in the resurrection of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the hope and new life that Easter brings. May we live in the light of His victory over death. Amen.”
Prayer of Gratitude
“Heavenly Father, on this Easter day, we are grateful for the gift of your Son, who sacrificed Himself for our sins. Thank you for the love that triumphs over death and the hope Easter brings to our hearts. Amen.”
Prayer of Praise
“Heavenly Father, we praise you for the triumph of your Son, Jesus Christ, over sin and death. May our lives reflect His victory, and may we bring glory to your name in all we do. Amen.
For flowers that bloom about our feet, For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet, For song of bird, and hum of bee, For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee!”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
‘Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate
Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen
Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing
Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty
Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers, Glory and power are his forever and ever.”
—St. Hippolytus of Rome
“Father, Thank You for the miracle of life—abundant life here, and eternal life with You in Heaven. Help me celebrate that life every day as I seek You and follow Your plan for my life. Today, I say with the Apostle Paul, “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?” In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Renewal Prayer
‘Lord Jesus, as we celebrate your resurrection, we pray for a renewal of faith, hope, and love. May this Easter be a time of spiritual growth and a fresh beginning in our journey with you. Amen.”
—Mary Southerland
“Dear Lord Jesus Christ, by Your radiant and magnificent resurrection, You broke the bonds of death and rose from the grave as a conqueror. You reconciled Heaven and earth. Our life had no hope of eternal happiness before You redeemed us. Your resurrection has washed away our sins, restored our innocence, and brought us joy. How inestimable is the tenderness of Your love!”
—Saint Gregory the Great
“Father God, I’m so thankful forgiveness isn’t something I have to earn or achieve. It’s a gift of grace I get to receive. Thank You that Jesus’ blood was enough to pay for my sin. Help me receive all You are offering me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
—Lysa Terkeurst
He Has Risen!
We praise Jesus on Easter for His final and glorious resurrection! It’s our hope that you feel blessed this Easter and ready to celebrate the amazing miracle of Jesus on the cross. In his suffering, we find life everlasting.
Take one of these bible verses or passages for your Easter morning prayer and spend time with God this Easter!
