Good Friday is here, and while we all want to jump ahead to the celebration of Easter Sunday, one of the pivotal moments of our faith is marked on this day.

The cross is where Jesus willingly and obediently sacrificed himself for the sins of the world. Through His pain, suffering and death, He took our place and what we deserved, and instead gave us salvation, forgiveness and eternal life.

“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.'” 1 Peter 2:23-24

As a way to feel the weight of this day and spend some time praying for our suffering world, we have created a guided Good Friday Prayer Experience for you to do on your own or as a family. Our hope is that this experience would allow you to spend some time in prayer for those in our local area as we prepare our hearts for what is coming… the resurrection!

How to do the Prayer Experience:

Though we would have loved to be in person with you for Good Friday, with the reality of our current world and the orders to stay at home, we are encouraging you to use your imagination and “travel” through your home during this experience.

Let each room serve as various stops throughout our city. As you walk from room to room, pause to pray through the prayer prompts and listen to the worship song(s) suggested for each area of the “city” on our Good Friday Spotify playlist. Let God speak to you as you envision the suffering of our King and also the suffering of our world.

Parents: If you are doing this prayer experience with your kids, click here for a special “TREASURE MAP” that will help guide them as you walk from room-to-room.

Your neighborhood

Listen to “Build My Life”

• Pray for your neighbors to know and witness through you the love and hope of Jesus.
• Pray that God would give you creative ways to be the neighbor He’s outlined for us to model in scripture.
• Pray for health and safety of our essential workers – grocery store workers, supply chain workers, and all others who have to report to their jobs during this season.

Local Schools

Listen to “Strong” and/or “Run To The Father”

• Pray for the teachers, administrators, and school staff who are navigating new territory right now; pray over their health, safety, and decision-making.
• Pray for friends, colleagues, teachers, administrators and classmates who may not know Jesus and the hope He brings in times like these. Pray that the Lord would show you opportunities to share about His love.
• Pray for students and families connected to your local schools who may be under-resourced or in difficult living situations. Pray for God’s provision to sustain and for discernment about how you might be a part of the solution.

Local Fire Station, Medical Clinic, Police Station or Hospital

Listen to “Miracle” or “Graves Into Gardens”

• Pray for our emergency first responders and frontline professionals: firefighters, medical professionals, paramedics, etc. Pray for health and endurance as they are truly on the frontlines of a hard and tiring battle.
• Pray for those who have had to call on these first responders and are facing scary separation, unknowns, or loss due to medial emergencies.

City Hall or Local Government Office

Listen to “The Lord Our God”

• Pray for our elected leaders and governing officials. Pray that God gives them wisdom and compassion in their decision-making.

Hillside Community Church

Listen to “Lord I Need You,” “Way Maker,” and/or “The Cross Has The Final Word”

• Pray for our pastor, staff, board and leaders to head counsel and make wise decisions for our church.
• Pray for those in our church who are wrestling with financial strain, medical needs, mental and emotional health, family drama, and loneliness.

Home

Listen to “The Blessing”

• Praise God for shelter and protection.
• Pray He covers your home and floods it with His peace.
• Submit your heart and your home to be His dwelling place. Breathe in His promises.

“When God wanted to guarantee his promises, he gave his word, a rock-solid guarantee — God can’t break his word. And because his word cannot change, the promise is likewise unchangeable. We who have run for our very lives to God have every reason to grab the promised hope with both hands and never let go. It’s an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God where Jesus, running on ahead of us, has taken up his permanent post as high priest for us, in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:18-20 MSG

We have a God that has suffered and feels pain, and yet… He still makes a way. Though He suffered and died, we know what is coming! There is HOPE – grab onto it and don’t let go.