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Reciting prayers with your friends and family before Resurrection Day mealtime is a wonderfully meaningful tradition. Gather with your loved ones and bless your Easter feast. Whether you prefer short and simple Easter blessings or lengthy and symbolic prayers, there is something in this list of Easter prayers for everyone.
Say a word of praise, and remember the reason for the season with these prayers that ask for blessings over food, for loved ones both present and those who have gone before us, and for all of creation. Here you'll find Easter prayers and blessings that deserve to be called to mind year-round but especially during this joyful season.
Short Easter Prayers
![The cross standing on meadow sunset](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/rZmcAK2txrpZjTMqy2oHnvW67eU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-917185830-2000-68d0d33297b649898b43ecf877279566.jpg)
May all be fed.
May all be healed.
May all be loved.
—John Robbins
Father, for our food we thank you, and for our joys: help us love you more.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Be present at our table, Lord,
Be here and everywhere adored.
Thy people bless, and grant that we may feast in paradise with thee.
—John Wesley
Blessings For Food
![Beautiful Sunrise in the Mountains](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/9ES3MpxpdfUM5CQOTgxDoHPBocI=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1168966835-2000-c2ac16d4d3d04c83904964cda20ba972.jpg)
Earth maker and Lord of all creation, we are mindful that this food before us has already been blessed by the sun, earth, and rain.
We pause to be grateful for the hidden gifts of life in this food.
Bless our eyes and taste so that we may eat this food in a holy and mindful manner.
We lift up this bread; may it be food and symbol for all of us who shall eat it.
—Edward Hays
We have come to the last meal of this day, to our supper meal.
Let us be mindful of how our Lord, at such a meal as this, washed his friends' feet in an act of holy service.
As this food is about to serve us as nourishment, may we also serve one another.
May the seal of God's love rest upon this food and upon this day now drawing to a close.
May we and our gifts of food be under the tent of God's peace.
—Edward Hays
The day is coming to a close, and, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we pause to break bread together.
May our eyes be opened, and, in this act of common sharing, may we see the risen Lord in one another.
May we see the Lord of Life in our food, our conversation and lives shared in common.
May the blessing of God, his peace and love, rest upon our table.
—Edward Hays
Blessed are you, Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth and Father of all your people: we give you glory for your goodness and for your loving care for us.
Bless this food [this bread] and grant that all who eat it may be strong in body and grow in your love.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, for ever and ever.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe: you raised your beloved son from the dead, and made him Lord of all.
We turn to you in prayer and ask you to bless us and this food you have given us.
Help us to be generous toward others, and to work with them so that they too may eat well.
Loving Father, may we all celebrate together around your table in heaven.
We praise you and give you glory through Christ our Lord.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Blessings For Gatherings
![Flowering Plants On Field Against Sky](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/UWeXeqrPyOZaThSR2Qd-L76tl_8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1178114126-2000-698da0e4dd6248a3ae390f4181c5296c.jpg)
Lord Jesus, our brother, be with us today.
Bless our happy gathering, and bless this meal that we share. Protect us all, and help us to grow in your love.
Lord Jesus, we praise your holy name for ever.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Lord Jesus, we are your brothers and sisters, and we gather here in your name.
In your love, give us your blessing, and bless this food for us.
Help us to grow in your love, and work with you to build up the kingdom of God.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Loving God, bless all those gathered here today as we come together in friendship and fellowship.
Thank you for the blessings of our individual and collective God-given gifts.
Place in our hearts the desire to make a difference to our families, to our community, to our country, and to the many cultures and peoples worldwide.
Give us balance in times of distraction and uncertainty.
Help us move towards our goals with determination and always with an abundant sense of humor.
Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger;
For our faith in a world where many know fear;
For friends in a world where many know only loneliness.
Please bless this food we are about to share, those who prepared it, those who serve it, and those who have worked to make today the special occasion that it is.
For all of this we give you thanks.
—Izola White
Loving Father, we thank you for bringing us together for this meal: may we continue to live in your friendship and in harmony with one another.
Bless this food, a sign of your loving care for us, and bless us in our daily lives.
Bless your church throughout the world, and all those who seek to do your will today.
Father of mercy, all praise be to you through Jesus Christ our savior, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Prayers For The Common Good
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May we be strong in virtue, firm in time of trouble, and always ready to help others in time of need.
May we be blessed by God as we share this food and as we work and live together for the good of all.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger.
Give them through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.
—Mother Teresa
Dear and beloved stranger,
Please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished.
Please share this walk with us that we may all know nature's peace.
Please rest in this warm house that we may come to know each other.
Please sleep under these soft blankets that we may all know safety.
Please pray this prayer that all our names of God may guide us on.
—Christina Baldwin
Prayers Expressing Gratitude For Gifts
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Father of mercy, we praise you and give you glory for the wonderful gifts you have given us: for life and health, for faith and love, and for this meal we have shared together.
Father, we thank you through Christ our Lord.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to us.
Blessed are you for giving us family and friends to be with us in times of joy and sorrow, to help us in days of need, and to rejoice with us in moments for celebration.
Father, we praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, and in the love of your Holy Spirit.
Blessed are you forever and ever.
—Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Lord God and giver of all good gifts, we are grateful as we pause before this meal, for all the blessings of life that you give to us.
Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding.
And so, mindful of your continuous care, we pause to be grateful for the blessings of this table.
May your presence be the extra taste to this meal which we eat in the name of your son, Jesus.
—Edward Hays
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the living hope I have today through your Son, Jesus Christ. There is nothing more wonderful.
Help my kids to know the magnitude of that hope, as I show it through my words and actions.
When we are tempted to be cynical, restore our joy and renew our attitudes. You are bigger than any problem in this world.
I declare today that my family will focus on Your goodness.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
—Kristine Brown
Prayers About God's Love
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Lord God, You loved this world so much, that you gave your one and only Son, that we might be called your children too.
Lord, help us to live in the gladness and grace of Easter Sunday, every day. Let us have hearts of thankfulness for your sacrifice.
Let us have eyes that look upon your grace and rejoice in our salvation. Help us to walk in that mighty grace and tell your good news to the world.
All for your glory do we pray, Lord, Amen.
—Rachel Marie Stone
Creator God and Lord of Life,
You who call forth from the darkness of death all those who love You, we rejoice, on this Easter Sunday, in the resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Visit our home and this table with Your bright blessing of peace and life.
We pause in the midst of this prayer to remember all the holy dead of our family who live now in You and who await the final and glorious resurrection of the dead.
May they and we, because of our faith in You, our God, taste in the victory of life over death.
May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior, be our guest as we celebrate His resurrection with this Easter Sunday dinner.
Bless those whose work to prepare this meal has truly been a work of prayer, and bless all of us who shall share it with Easter love and joy.
May You, then, bless this table and this food, and each of us in Your holy name.
—Edward Hays
Dear Lord, draw my thoughts upward toward You every minute of every day, but especially this Easter.
Help me resist the temptation to focus on the painful things of this earthly life and learn to control my thoughts so they don’t sink my faith or joy in You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
—Tracie Miles
Holy Spirit, faithfully nudge and remind us that we are children of God, freed from the chains of sin by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection and assertion to heaven where He is seated by the Father. Bless our minds to remember and embrace the freedom, hope, joy, and peace we have in Christ.
—Meg Bucher
Risen Lord Jesus, as the rising sun
baptizes trees and shrubs
in rippling light, let me be baptized
by Your resurrection light.
May I trust in You above all other goals,
seek You in all things,
find You in every situation,
meet You among all people,
know You over everything -
and love You with adoration
beyond
beyond
beyond all telling.
—Bruce Prewer
Prayers About Forgiveness
![Sunrise through bluebell woodland](https://www.southernliving.com/thmb/q5RoETNAe4Hd_7G7SbLo-yXW9F4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1306086420-2000-fc65d5e14b3c48eba098b8f5366232b8.jpg)
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
Father, We are living in a day unlike anything we have ever seen before. Chaos, confusion, and turmoil has been stirring in the hearts of so many people.
We trust that justice belongs in Your hand, but we also trust that You have a great plan for us to see hearts transformed and lives changed.
Jesus, thank You for Your mercy that was displayed upon the cross that has given those who call upon Your name and trust in You for forgiveness and new life. We want to be a part of Your great redemptive plan in the earth.
Help us fix our eyes on Christ when we are tempted to only look at the problems around us. We are asking that You would give us the boldness to proclaim the only solution to what our world is experiencing and that is Your glorious Gospel! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
—Emily Massey
Prayers About God's Sacrifice
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Almighty God, who through thine only-begotten Son Jesus Christ has overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life:
Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord’s Resurrection may be raised from the death of sin by thy life-giving Spirit;
through the same Jesus Christ Our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
—Book of Common Prayer
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.
—Book of Common Prayer
Dear Jesus, I ask You to open my heart and my mind. Use my suffering to help me more closely identify with Your suffering, so that we can share these experiences in unity. I do need Your mercy and grace in my time of need. I thank You for becoming a human so that You can sympathize with my struggles. Thank You that I can enter into Your presence with confidence because of what You have done for me on the cross. Amen.
—Pete Briscoe
Lord, how can we ever thank You enough?
You endured more pain, more shame, more sorrow, more grief than we can possibly fathom.
Help us remember why You gave Your life.
Because of love. Because of mercy. Because we desperately need them both.
—Liz Curtis Higgs