A Prayer to Not Stress at Easter
By Vivian Bricker
Bible Reading:
“But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things ... but few things are needed — or indeed ... only one. Mary has chosen what is better ... and it will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:40-42
Read or Listen Below:
During the Easter season, it’s hard not to get caught up in all the things you’d like to accomplish. Depending on whether you’re hosting or not ... you can easily become overwhelmed with all the preparations that must be done. Maybe you’re cooking Easter dinner and need to arrange seating and organize games for the kids to play. These things can leave you feeling drained and unhappy. The preparations might feel super-important right now. However, getting too caught up in our task lists can cause us to lose focus on the purpose of the celebration. Easter is about celebrating the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. Through His death and resurrection, we have been given redemption, salvation, and forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).
I often get caught up in everything that “has to be done” ... and this goes beyond Easter. When I start fretting about all of these things, I tend to spiral, and I don't become a very nice person. I'm easily angered; honestly, I'm pretty irritated when nobody steps up to help me. And that’s because I want people to understand all the time, energy, and effort I put forth. But it is for the Lord that we do good works, and the Lord always sees these things.
Someone who we may relate to at these times is Martha in the Bible. Martha was the sister of Mary and Lazarus. The Lord Jesus loved each of these siblings and visited them often during His ministry. The Bible tells us in Luke 10:40-42, “But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was stressed about the preparations that needed to be done, and she was upset that her sister wasn’t helping her. But Jesus said that Mary’s choice was better in that moment. Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus’ feet ... and listen to Him, which was all she needed. Although Martha was doing everything “right” as a hospitable host, she was missing out on Jesus right before her. We, too, are called to follow Mary’s example ... and sit at the feet of the Lord.
We don’t need to be upset, stressed, or overwhelmed with the holiday preparations to accomplish something at Easter. All that is required of us is to sit at the feet of Jesus and worship Him. If you find yourself stressing out over preparations this Easter, allow yourself to be disentangled from your busy list. Take a step back to pause ... and sit before the Lord. Worship him ... and faithfully follow His direction. Rather than allowing the holiday to drain you ... let the Lord fill your cup with His everlasting goodness.
Let’s Pray:
Dear Lord, I have often found myself stressed like Martha. I become too concerned with all the preparations ... rather than sitting at Your feet. I don’t want to get too caught up in all the Easter preparations ... because they can distract me from You. Help me to be like Mary ... who sat at Your feet ... and did not take Your presence and nearness for granted. Please put my anxious Martha’s heart to rest. I know that You can do all things ... and give me the rest that I need. Thank You, Lord, for blessing me and allowing me to rest at Your feet. In your name, Jesus, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Deagreez
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Originally published Wednesday, 09 April 2025.
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