Prayer Blog

Mark 15:33-39
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

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Heavenly Father,

Today we remember the cross, the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who bore our sin in His body and reconciled us to You (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:18–21; Col. 1:19–22). In His suffering, we see Your love poured out for the world (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16).

We pause in humility, reverence, and gratitude, recognizing the cost of our redemption, that we were bought with a price (Mark 15:33–39; Isa. 53:4–6; 1 Cor. 6:20).

And yet we hold fast to hope, because the cross was not the end. According to the Scriptures, Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3–4; 1 Pet. 1:3). You raised Him from the grave, conquering sin, death, and the powers of evil once and for all (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:9–10; Col. 2:13–15; Heb. 2:14–15).

Prepare our hearts to live in the power of the cross and the resurrection, to walk in newness of life and to share in Christ’s sufferings and glory (Rom. 6:4–11; Phil. 3:10–11). We worship the Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords.

We offer this prayer to You, Father, through Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18). To You, the one true and living God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all glory forever.

Amen.