8-Day Holy Week Devotional with Scripture Readings and Prayers

Jesus had spent three years with his disciples, traveling to various towns in and around Israel, preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand. He healed the sick, helped the poor, and even raised the dead. Most importantly, He was preaching about repentance from sins, and eternal life with God. He said that He was the Son of God who was sent to be a sacrifice for the sins of many. This amazed (and at times confused) the disciples and enraged the religious elite and other Jews who thought He was being blasphemous.

But for those followers who believed He was the conquering king they had been waiting for since the time of David, they were excited that Jesus was arriving in Jerusalem to celebrate the week before Passover. 

He came that Sunday as Zechariah had prophesied more than 500 years before: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). As many people shouted “Hosanna” (“Please save us”) did they want to be saved from their Roman oppressors, or saved from their sins that separated them from God? The difference between these two mindsets would affect their beliefs about Jesus five days later.

Prayer for Palm Sunday

Lord, we know on this side of the history that Jesus is our Victorious King who came, not as the people expected, but as they needed. We pray that on this Palm Sunday we can examine our hearts and think about what we “expect” from Jesus. Heavenly Father, do we think that with Jesus as our Savior that our lives will be blessed with only good things? Do we struggle when You allow hard things?

I offer myself up to you this Palm Sunday with shouts of praise without qualification. I honor you and love you for all that You are: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. I bow down before You and lay my life at Your feet as I consider what you were entering Jerusalem to do for me. And I cry as they did so many years ago, “Hosanna!” knowing You have answered my cry to be saved for life eternal with You.

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Jesus didn’t stay in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but instead went to Bethany, likely to stay with his friend Lazarus and his sisters. The next morning, He returned to Jerusalem and went to the temple. This was the temple that King Solomon’s men built for the Lord hundreds of years prior. God had told Solomon, “As for this temple you are building, if you follow my decrees, observe my laws and keep all my commands and obey them, I will fulfill through you the promise I gave to David your father. And I will live among the Israelites and will not abandon my people Israel” (I Kings 6:12-13). It was to be a place to connect with God and worship Him, a place for sacrifice and praise. But that’s not what Jesus found that day.

He found people mistreating the poor who had come to offer sacrifices, cheating them in their financial dealings. Jesus said they had turned God’s house into a den of robbers and began overturning money changers' tables in righteous anger.

Not only were the money changers angry, but so were the religious elite who were upset that the children were calling Jesus the “Son of David," one of the names of the Messiah. They were already indignant over things they had seen and heard about Jesus, and this just served to foment their anger even more.

Prayer for Holy Monday

Lord, thank you for caring so much about Your Father’s “house” and the poor that You took action on this day. I’m just as grateful that you stopped to heal the blind and the lame. I pray that I would be ever mindful of the needs of the poor and the sick and serve them with every opportunity that You give me in Jesus’ name. Thank you for all of the times that you have healed me and those that I love. Holy Spirit, thank You that You’ve brought Your holiness to live inside of me and that temple can never be destroyed, for “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

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On the way to the city on Tuesday, Jesus and His disciples passed a fig tree without fruit and He cursed it saying, “May you never bear fruit again” (Matthew 21:19). When the disciples saw that the tree withered immediately, Jesus told them that if they had faith, they could do such miraculous things and receive whatever they ask for in prayer if they had faith and did not doubt.

When they entered the temple courts, the religious elite began to question Jesus’ authority. The chief priests and the elders would have understood the message that Jesus was trying to make: that they needed to repent of their sins, though they believed that their strict adherence to the law secured them eternal life. Jesus made a bold statement that they would not enter the kingdom of God for not accepting “the heir” as the sacrifice for their sins. If they didn’t believe Jesus needed to be eliminated before now, they were convinced by these words that He should be arrested for blasphemy and for distorting the Word of God.

Prayer for Holy Tuesday

Most merciful Heavenly Father, how easily we can get it wrong when it comes to salvation. Perhaps we believe that our “good works” will “get us into heaven”. That if we have more good than bad, God will accept us into His kingdom. Or maybe we have put our faith in Jesus for salvation, but deep down we still think we need to do what is acceptable to be accepted. Or, God forbid, we ignore Jesus’ call to repentance (agreeing with God about our sin) and miss out on being cleansed and made righteous because of Jesus. Please, Father, show us that there is only one way to enter the kingdom of Heaven–through Jesus’ sacrifice as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Show us that You love us so much and that You know what we need. If necessary Lord, please remove the scales from our eyes and from those we love so that we would know the truth of the good news of Jesus Christ.

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Two events happened on Wednesday of Holy Week that had a direct impact on the events that would happen on Friday. First of all, Judas had decided that he was going to force Jesus’ hand and give him up to the religious authorities. It was the greatest betrayal in the history of the world, and yet it was part of God’s plan for the redemption of the sins of the world. Secondly, Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus and friend of Jesus, “anointed” Jesus with expensive perfume to prepare Him for His burial.

Biblical scholars have argued for years over what Judas’ motivation was. Did he stop believing in Jesus and wanted to give Him up for arrest? Did he believe that Jesus wasn’t moving fast enough to get in front of the religious hierarchy with His message? Did he think that he would be seen favorably by the elites? 

When it came to Mary of Bethany, she had such love for her Savior that she felt led to bring Him the most expensive of perfumes, pour it on His feet and dry them with her hair. It was such an incredible gesture of love, but she must have also believed what Jesus told His disciples–that He was going to be killed. That was more understanding than many of the disciples had (who perhaps were in denial). The two sets of opposing actions on this day would be talked about until today and beyond, just like Jesus said when he lauded Mary’s sacrifice.

Prayer for Holy Wednesday

Lord Jesus Christ, I can’t begin to imagine the range of emotions you were feeling on this day thousands of years ago. You were about to be betrayed by one of your followers, and you were comforted by another. I come before you as one who, on any given day, can be like Judas, and sometimes like Mary. While that sounds extreme, there are actions, thoughts and attitudes every day that may seem like I’m either turning my back on you, or giving you my all. Holy Spirit, please give me the strength and inspiration to glorify Jesus every day, and not become lax in my faith. May people see in me someone who would never give up on my Lord, regardless of what You do in my life. May they see that my greatest desire is to sit at His feet and learn from Him.

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This day commemorates the Passover meal that, unbeknownst to the disciples, would be the last Passover that they would celebrate together. Many things happened at this meal that taught the disciples that Jesus was commissioning them to carry on His message after He was gone; a job that would carry with it much hardship and persecution. Jesus emphasized humility as He washed the disciples' feet before the meal (something the lowliest servant would normally handle). He spoke to them of one who would betray Him, discussed the “way” to the Father, said that He was going to be killed, and offered comfort to the disciples by telling them of the Holy Spirit who would empower them and bring them joy. This was also the time when He proclaimed His betrayer and told Peter that He, too, would deny Jesus. Most importantly, He announced the New Covenant that would replace the old for all of eternity.

Holy Thursday is also referred to in some churches as “Maundy Thursday.” “Maundy” is short for the Latin word “mandatum” which means “mandate." On this day, Jesus presented a new mandate for His disciples as they met for the Passover–the command to love one another. 

Prayer for Holy Thursday

My dear Prince of Peace, how heartbreaking this time with your disciples must have been as you watched them move between confusion, anxiety, grief, and anger. I try to think of how I would have reacted, but what matters more is how I react now that I know everything you said would come to pass was true. All the ways that you fulfilled prophecy leave nothing for us to question about You being the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Thank you for impressing upon us the need to serve and love one another as You loved. I pray that the Holy Spirit would show me each day how I can do that, for those I care about and for the stranger. Help me to be bold to share my faith in You so that others can partake in the New Covenant and spend eternity with You. And thank you for praying for everyone who would come after the disciples down through the generations and who would believe in You. That means you prayed for me. I know you continue to pray for me, that the Father’s will be done in my life. I can’t thank You enough for being real, alive, available, and always FOR me.

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It may seem like an oxymoron to call this day in history “Good Friday.” It seems more appropriate to call it “Hopeless Friday.” But on this side of the cross, we know that what happened on this day, though horrendous for Jesus to endure, brought about such a good outcome that “good” doesn’t seem enough. 

After the Last Supper, Jesus went out to the Garden of Gethsemane near the foot of the Mount of Olives. He brought with him Peter, James and John to stay and pray with Him because of what was about to happen. The disciples were clueless because they kept falling asleep. Meanwhile, Jesus was in agony, begging His Father for another way to fulfill His mission: to defeat death, our greatest enemy.

He was arrested, endured a sham trial, was flogged, and crucified for claiming to be the Son of God. As prophesied by Isaiah in the Old Testament, “He was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off” (Isaiah 53:7). 

Prayer for Good Friday

My King Jesus, I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me on this day, and for what it cost You. Thank you that You cared enough to restore the broken relationship between humans and our Heavenly Father that you literally went through the worst death imaginable. In that work, You defeated death so that now we have the opportunity to repent of our sins and believe in You for salvation and eternal life.

May I be as mindful of Your sacrifice all the days of my life. May I be grateful that I have been reconciled with my Heavenly Father, and may I tell others of this most precious gift of all. Lord, there are so many who don’t know You and therefore do not have the promise of eternal bliss with You. Please, Holy Spirit, turn their hearts of stone into hearts of flesh and open my mouth and give me words to share with those who are currently lost. I will take time today to pray for all those I know who need to know You. 

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For the disciples and the other followers of Christ, this was an excruciatingly painful, confusing, grief-stricken day. The One who they knew to be the Son of God, the Messiah who was promised for thousands of years, was dead? How could this happen? Why didn’t God stop it? Why didn’t Jesus call a legion of angels from heaven to save Him?

John’s Gospel speaks of the burial of Jesus: of how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, two Pharisees, asked Pilate for the body of Jesus so that He would not be put in a mass grave. They prepared His body according to Jewish burial customs and laid him in a new tomb. The tomb was guarded by Roman soldiers so that no one would steal Jesus’ body and “fake” a resurrection.

But the day after His burial, the disciples went into hiding “for fear of the Jews” (John 20:19). Whether they wailed in sorrow, prayed for a miracle return or cried out in anger against those who crucified Jesus, the Bible doesn’t tell us. But it’s easy to imagine that based on their love for Him, the disciples and followers spent a very dark day on that Saturday.

Prayer for Holy Saturday

Lord, there have been many times in my life when I didn’t understand what You were doing in my life or in the life of another. I’ve been fearful, angry and confused like the disciples. I’m sorry for any way that I have been disrespectful to you through my emotions, though I’m grateful that You allowed Job and King David to cry out to You with these same kinds of emotions and You loved them just the same. You are good, all the time.

Please help me, Lord, to come to You first before I let my emotions get the best of me. As I consider that Saturday over 2,000 years ago, though I don’t know all that was happening in the spiritual world, I’m so grateful that You made a way for me to come back to the Father—spirit, mind and body.

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“Hallelujah, the Lord is risen!”
“The Lord is risen indeed”

(traditional Easter greeting between believers)

It was just supposed to be a visit to Jesus’ tomb to better prepare his body for burial, since there was a bit of a rush the night before last. The gospel writers indicate that Mary Magdalene and perhaps other women went to the tomb in the early morning to do just that. What she/they found was that the stone was impossibly moved from in front of the tomb. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story in different ways: that Mary ran back to the disciples who came running to see what she found; that an angel was sitting inside the tomb and said Jesus was risen; that Jesus spoke to Mary (who she thought was the gardener near the tomb). 

Afterwards, rather than ascending back to heaven, Jesus spent 40 days showing Himself first to the disciples, to two men on the road to Emmaus and then to more than 500 of His followers, and His brother James (who previously did not believe in Jesus as Messiah). Only Jesus would care so much about the needs of the people to stay on earth to share more about the future. He was also incredibly generous to restore Peter after he had denied Jesus three times before His crucifixion. After His ascension, He appeared to Paul and called him to preach the kingdom of God to the Gentiles.

The implication of the resurrection is that we will also be resurrected if we give our lives to Christ. It was the single most important event in history, and will continue to be until the Lord returns. HALLELUJAH! 

Prayer for Resurrection Sunday

Lord, no words are adequate to thank you for the second chance you have given us. Thank you that we can rejoice and be glad every day because Your resurrection promises us eternal life with You." You defeated death for us, showing that You have all authority in heaven and on earth. Nothing will be able to separate us from You and Your love.

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever” (Psalm 136:1)

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8)

Learn more about the meaning and significance behind the Easter holiday and Holy Week celebrations:

What is Lent? and When Does Lent Start?
What is Ash Wednesday? and When is Ash Wednesday?
What is Palm Sunday?
What is Maundy Thursday?
What is Good Friday? and When is Good Friday?
What is Holy Saturday?

What is Easter? and When is Easter Sunday?
Easter Bible Verses
The Resurrection of Jesus 
Easter Prayers

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