Opening Prayer

• God, when we are sad, you are with us when we are afraid, you are with us when we are angry, you are with us You are the source of every good thing, but you are also with us when it feels like good things are gone. Jesus, we love you. Help us follow in your way.

Read the story
Matthew 26:36-41

Pray
God, help us remember you are with us
even in hard times
even when people disappoint us
even when we fail.
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Mark 14:43-46

Pray
God, help us trust you
even when people we trust let us down
even when we let other people down
even when it is hard to trust.
Jesus, help us follow in your way.

Read the story
Luke 22:66-71

Pray
God, help us say true things
even when it is scary
even when people don’t believe us
even when people call us names.
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Matthew 26:69-75

Pray
God, help us be faithful
even when we are afraid
even when we are ashamed
even when people don’t understand.
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Mark 15:1-5

Pray
God, help us remember who we are
even when others are mean
even when people try to change us
even when we are being judged.
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
John 19:1-3

Pray
God, help us stand for what we believe
even when people push back
even when we are mocked
even when it hurts.
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
John 19:15-17

Pray
God, help us when everything is hard
when it is hard to walk
when we feel alone
when we see no way out.
Jesus, help us follow your way

Read the story
Mark 15:21

Pray
God, help us stand together
even when we are tired
even when we suffer
even with strangers
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Luke 23:27-31

Pray
God, help us cry
for others
for ourselves
for our world
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Luke 23:33-34

Pray
God, help us forgive
those who have hurt us
those who hurt our loved ones
even ourselves
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Luke 23:39-43

Pray
God, help us!
Save us from ourselves!
Remember us!
Be with us!
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
John 19:25-27

Pray
God, help us love each other
our families
our chosen families
each other’s families
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Luke 23:44-46

Pray
God, be with us
in darkness
when the world falls apart
in our breath
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Read the story
Matthew 27:57-60

Pray
God, help us be gentle
with ourselves
with others
when we hurt
Jesus, help us follow in your way

Closing Prayer

God, thank you for Jesus.
Thank you for what we learn from Jesus.
Thank you for showing us your love in his life
and in his death.
And thank you for the hope of Easter--
that death is not the end of Jesus’s story
and it is not the end of your love.

Jesus, we love you
Help us follow in your way.