Prayer based on John 20

Lord God, we marvel at the empty tomb. We consider the placement of the linen cloths lying there, cloths that once covered the dead body of Your Son. We think of the other cloth that once covered a lifeless face, now folded in a place by itself. We believe. Then we consider the familiar voice of Jesus calling His friend by her own name, the voice of a risen Man who walks in the presence of angels. Yes, we believe. He is risen. He is the firstborn of many brethren. As He is, so shall we be. Though we die, there is no point in anyone clinging to our flesh, for our spirits shall ascend on high, and when the Son of Man calls us out from the grave, we shall rise again, not with mortal flesh, but with immortal bodies. We long for Your coming, O Lord! Your Father is our Father. Your God is our God, and we have peace with Him in You. Father God, fill Your church with Your Holy Spirit. As You sent Your Son not to be served, but to serve, send us forward in Your love. Use Your church to declare the forgiveness of sins. Grant us a very secure faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and in our resurrection yet to come when He returns. Though we have not yet seen, we do sincerely believe.