7 Simple Prayers for Holy Week

With a relatively early Easter for 2021 (April 4th or May 2nd), and the pandemic still an ongoing issue, I feel quite unprepared for Holy Week. Normally I love Holy Week, from the joy of Palm Sunday to the sorrow of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. When I truly allow myself to think and to feel about the events leading up to the Resurrection, my soul is better prepared to rejoice on Easter Sunday.

As I write this briefly before Sunday (and find myself finishing it on Monday–oops), I realize it’s not too late to prepare myself for Easter. I’ve put together a week’s worth of prayers and scripture readings to help me focus on Jesus during Holy Week. I hope these prayers for Holy Week bless you in the days leading up to Easter.

To illustrate the specific days of Holy Week, I am drawing from both the lectionary and other parts of the Bible.

For additional Holy Week inspiration, check out my overview of Holy Week, including scripture readings.

Prayers for Holy Week to Prepare for Easter

I’ve written the following prayers for Holy Week. Each Holy Week prayer is partly inspired by scripture, which I’ve noted. I hope these prayers for Holy Week will prepare your heart for Easter.

These Holy Week scripture readings and prayers don’t perfectly line up with the chronological events before Easter. Several important moments happened on Thursday and Friday, so I’ve spread out the scripture readings so you can focus on these final moments in Christ’s life.

I wrote each Holy Week prayer using the ACTS method. This refers to a helpful prayer format:

• Adoration
• Confession
• Thanksgiving
• Supplication

For easy reference, you can also download a printable copy of these Holy week prayers! The prayer printable includes space to personalize your prayer with the ACTS method.

First Name Email Address 7 Days of Prayer Send me my prayer journal!

Palm Sunday Prayer

First read through Psalm 118, focusing on verses 1-2 and 28-29. Then read Mark 11:1-11. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Palm Sunday prayer.

Dear Lord,

You are the greatest good in the universe. Your steadfast love endures forever. You loved the world so much that You sent Your one and only Son to live among us. Hosanna! Blessed is Your Son who came to earth to save me from my sins.

Lord, I know my sins are many. Even when I strive to live a godly life, I fail daily to live up to the standard set by my savior, Your Son, Christ Jesus. It’s so easy to be led astray by the distractions and temptations of the world, even when I know my every focus should be on You. Forgive me of my sins.

Lord, I thank You for Your constant presence in my life. Thank You for this day that You have made, for the many blessings in my life, for answering my prayers.

Just as Jesus triumphantly entered the gates of Jerusalem, allow Him to enter the depths of the hearts of Your children. As I celebrate the joy of Palm Sunday, keep me focused on You, not the secular trappings of the Easter season. Stay with me all week as I prepare my heart daily to receive Christ as my savior.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Prayer for Holy Week (Monday)

First read Isaiah 42:1-9, focusing on verses 5-6. Then read Matthew 22:34-40. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Holy Week prayer.

Dear Lord,

You created the heavens and the earth! You breathed life into Your children! Even now, You hold me by the hand. I take delight in Your presence.

I struggle to follow the greatest commandment. I know I should love you with all my heart, mind, and soul, but my sinner’s heart wants instant gratification and short-term pleasure. Forgive me for giving into temptation, even when I know better. In truth, I often ignore the second commandment completely. I’d rather be selfish, doing what’s best for me and mine, ignoring the plight of the poor and the hungry. Forgive me for not loving my neighbors as myself.

Lord, thank You for your steadfast love, which You grant freely to me. Thank You for your forgiveness, which I do not deserve as a wretched sinner.

I want to seek Your name above all else. Help me to stay loyal and true to You, the Lord of all creation. Reveal to me practical ways that I can love my neighbor. Let me know when I am not focused on You, when I am selfish, when I need to do better.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Prayer for Holy Week (Tuesday)

First read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31. Then read Mark 14:32-42. Finally, read Hebrew 5:7-9. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Holy Week prayer.

Dear Lord,

Your foolishness is wiser than my wisdom. Your weakness is stronger than my strength. I boast only of You, creator of life, giver of all things.

I confess that like the disciples in the garden, my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak. I want to follow You. I want to love you with my entire mind, heart, and soul. But all too often, I find myself prioritizing inconsequential things, when I should be delighting in Your presence. Forgive me for not putting You first.

Thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son. Jesus did not want to die, but He accepted Your will.

Help me be more like Jesus. He both believed that all things are possible through You, while also wanting to follow Your will, even though it meant His death. Reveal Your will for my life so that I might follow the path You’ve chosen for me.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Holy Wednesday Prayer

First read Matthew 26:14-16. Then read John 12:1-8. Finally, Hebrews 12:1-3. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Holy Wednesday prayer.

Dear Lord,

I’m constantly awed by your wondrous creation, the beauty of spring and all seasons. As I appreciate this beautiful day, I praise Your name above all others.

I may not have sold out Jesus as Judas did, but it’s easy to betray my faith with my words and my actions. Sometimes I deliberately sin, and then I defend my actions. Forgive my betrayal, for I know better.

Thank You for the gift of Your Son, the pioneer and perfecter of my faith.

Lord, I want to be like Mary, not like Judas. I want to acknowledge You as my savior, not betray You. Give me the strength and the perseverance to live a godly life as Jesus did on earth.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Maundy Thursday Prayer

Start by reading Psalm 116, with careful attention to verses 5, 12-14. Then read John 13:12- 17. Finish with Mark 14:22-25. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Maundy Thursday prayer.

Dear Lord,

You are a gracious, righteous, merciful God. I cannot repay You for the blessings You have bestowed upon me, but I praise Your name and serve You faithfully.

Forgive me of my prideful attitude and my hateful disregard of those I consider lesser. Jesus humbled Himself before His disciples, washing their feet. I know that I am not better than anyone else. We are all Your children, all made in Your image.

Thank You for listening to my prayers and answering my prayers, even when I don’t like or understand the answer. I know that You are always with me, my protector, my salvation.

Communion is a sacred time to remember Christ’s sacrifice, but I want to treasure His gift at all times. The humility, gratitude, and love I feel during Communion is how I should feel at all times. Humble my heart so that I might better serve You.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Good Friday Prayer

Today requires somber contemplation as you prepare yourself for Easter Sunday. Read John 18:1-19:42. These Bible readings will ready your heart for this Good Friday prayer.

Dear Lord,

Today is a solemn day, and yet I still praise Your name. You loved the world so much that You sent us Your Son, who died on the cross for our sins. For my sins. I cannot fathom the magnitude of Your love, Your might, Your everlasting existence.

At times I feel as though my sins are too many to count, but I must try to confess them all before humbly requesting Your forgiveness. I know that I am only forgiven and free through the blood of Jesus Christ, my savior.

Thank You for Your great redemption plan, through which we are called Your children, and by which we accept the unimaginable forgiveness, love, and everlasting life through Jesus.

Who would I be at the cross? Would I deny my love for You, as Peter did three times? Or would I stay with You until the very end, as the women did? It’s easy when times are good to proclaim my love for the Parent, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but I want my faith to remain with me when times are bad. Fill me with Your presence, so that I am constantly aware of You.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Holy Saturday Prayer

First read Matthew 27:57-61. Then read Ephesians 4:8-10. These Bible verses will ready your heart for this Holy Saturday prayer.

Dear Lord,

Oh great and loving God! You are beyond human comprehension, and yet I know that I love you with every fiber of my being.

I confess my impatience, as I rush through my Bible reading and prayer time. Forgive my doubts, as I worry that I won’t like Your answer to my prayers. I want to sit quietly in Your presence, but I allow myself to be distracted by own selfish wants. Forgive me of these sins.

Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming human, for dying on the cross as a human, and for experiencing the reality of death. Your body was broken, but Your soul descended to the depths of the afterlife. I know that my own brokenness is a temporary burden while on earth, until my soul rejoices in the life everlasting with You.

Today, remind me to mourn Your death. Tomorrow I will celebrate Your resurrection, but I know I should first sit with the solemnity of Your body in the tomb. Open my heart and grant me patience to devote quiet time with You.

In Christ’s name, Amen.

Closing Thoughts on Holy Week

I hope these prayers for Holy Week inspire you. In addition to the suggested Bible readings I referenced to write these Holy Week prayers, you also might consider the Holy Week Bible verses from the Revised Common Lectionary. You can learn more in my overview of Holy Week.

These Holy Week prayers reference some challenging theological topics. If you’re struggling to understand fully, or just want to explore the events of Holy Week more in-depth, I encourage you to pick up a study Bible, ask your Christian friends and leaders for advice, or even visit your favorite Christian website.

To help with your daily prayers for Holy Week, download a PDF version of these prayers! This free prayer printable also leaves extra space for you to add your own personal prayers using the ACTS method.

First Name Email Address 7 Days of Prayer Send me my prayer journal!